Letting Go of Her Hearts
by The Phantom Rising
Summary: The Master destroyed her inside and outside, Sophia has regenerated as Donna arrives back on the Tardis crew. But what is the Medusa Cascade? Who is returning? But what is on Donna's back? Everything will be answered in this Series 4 OC fanfic. Third in the Two Hearts story.
1. Voyage of The Damned - Part 1

**Voyage of The Damned - Part 1**

The Tardis is in flight. Suddenly a fog horn sounds and a ship's bow crashes through the side of the Tardis and blows the Doctor and Sophia to their feet.

"What? What?" The Doctor asks about the ship as the ship's bell sounds, and he picks up life belt that has the name Titanic on it. "What?"

The Doctor returns to the console and adjusts the controls. The Tardis walls reform, pushing the ship back outside. Then he materialises inside the ship, next to a board detailing a list of shipping companies. The fog horn is sounding again.

 **-!-**

People in Edwardian dress are enjoying a champagne buffet. A band plays a slow version of Jingle Bells. Around the room are golden skinned statues of male angels. One moves as the Doctor walks past and another moves as Sophia move as she waves at it. Then the Doctor spots a small red-skinned alien in a dinner jacket, and goes to a window.

"Right." The Doctor reliases as a tannoy annouces to all of the customers."Attention all passengers. The Titanic is now in orbit above Sol Three, also known as Earth. Population, Human. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Christmas."

 **-!-**

The Doctor has changed into dinner jacket and bow tie and Sophia got dressed up in a sparkled dress that she uncovered from inside the Tardis wardrobe, maybe from a previous companion. She never got to do this with the Doctor, but he allowed her for this one trip on the spaceship replica of the Titanic. He did also prefer the dress to her normal wear. He described her as a beacon of the stars shining out to him.

"Merry Christmas, sir." A steward told the couple.

"Merry Christmas to you." Sophia says.

The couples onboard are dancing to the music. The Doctor mingles with the crowd before, passing a man on his mobile phone.

 **"It's not a holiday for me, not while I've still got my vone. Now do as I say and sell."**

Sophia goes up to one of the angels.

"Good evening. I am Passenger 29 and my partner, number 30. I would like to ask who or what are you?" Sophia requests to the angel as it responds,"Information. Heavenly Host supplying tourist information."

"Good, so, tell me, because I'm an idiot, where are we from?" The Doctor inquires.

"Information. The Titanic is en route from the planet Sto in the Cassavalian Belt. The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures." The Heavenly Host explains the information he needs.

"Titanic. It sounds like another ship. Who thought of the name?" Sophia remembers and she inquires on who thought of the name.

"Information. It was chosen as the most famous vessel of the planet Earth." The Heavenly Host says to her.

"Did they tell you why it was famous?" The Doctor inquires why they chose it.

"Information. All designations are chosen by Mister Max Capricorn, president of Max, Max, Max." The Heavenly Host says to him as the Host twitches and its voice pitch rises. The Steward notices and hurries over.

"Ooo, bit of a glitch." The Doctor says.

"It's all right, sir, madam. We can handle this." A steward tells the couple as two more officers arrive and they switch off the Host before carrying it away. "Software problem, that's all. Leave it with us, sir. Merry Christmas. _That's another one down. What's going on with these things"_

The man from before named Rickston Slade bumps into a little waitress, making her drop her tray of drinks.

"For Tov's sake, look where you're going. This jacket's a genuine Earth antique." Rickston reminds the watiress about his jacket.

"I'm sorry, sir." The waitress, named Astrid apolgizes.

"You'll be sorry when it comes off your wages, sweetheart. Staffed by idiots. No wonder Max Capricorn's going down the drain." Rickston complains as he leaves. The Doctor stoops to help.

"Careful. There we go." The Doctor says to Astrid.

"Thank you, sir. I can manage." Astrid says.

"I never said you couldn't. I'm the Doctor, by the way. Oh, and this is my companion - Sophia." The Doctor introduces himself and Sophia.

"Hello, nice to meet you." Sophia greets herself.

"Astrid, sir. Astrid Peth." Astrid introduces herself to the couple.

"Nice name." Sophia comments.

"Nice to meet you, Astrid Peth. Merry Christmas." The Doctor says.

"Merry Christmas, sir and ma'am." Astrid wishes Merry Christmas to the Doctor.

"Just Doctor, not sir." The Doctor says.

"You enjoying the cruise?" Astrid asks him.

"Er, yeah, I suppose. I don't know. It doesn't quite work, a cruise with being one part of a couple." The Doctor tells Astrid.

"You're not with anyone else?" Astrid inquires to the Doctor.

"No, no, just us. Just, er, used to be but, er, no. What about you? Long way from home, Planet Sto." The Doctor tells her as he asks her to dream back from the planet Sto.

"Doesn't feel that different. I spent three years working at the spaceport diner, travelled all the way here and I'm still waiting on tables." Astrid explains about the job she was doing on the Planet Sto.

"No shore leave?" Sophia inquires about Astrid's shore leave.

"We're not allowed. They can't afford the insurance. I just wanted to try it, just once. I used to watch the ships heading out to the stars and I always dreamt of. It sounds daft." Astrid reveals to her.

"You dreamt of another sky. New sun, new air, new life. A whole universe teeming with life. Why stand still when there're all that life out there?" The Doctor says to her about her dreams back on Sto.

"So, you travel a lot?" Astrid asks if they travel a lot.

"All the time. Just for fun. Well, that's the plan. Never quite works." The Doctor says.

"But it's all the same if it doesn't work." Sophia tells them.

"Must be rich, though." Astrid says.

"Haven't got a penny. Stowaway." The Doctor tells her.

"Kidding." Astrid asks him.

"Seriously." The Doctor agrees.

"No." Astrid disagrees.

"Oh, yeah." Sophia says.

"How did you get on board?" Astrid asks them.

"Accident. We've got this, sort of, ship thing. I was just rebuilding her. Left the defences down. Bumped into the Titanic. Here we are. Bit of a party. We thought, why not?" The Doctor explains to Astrid.

"I should report you." Astrid says.

"Go on then." Sophia tells her.

"I'll get you a drink on the house." Astrid promises as over at another table, a bunch of toffs are laughing at a large woman in a purple cowboy outfit and her equally well padded companion. The Doctor and Sophia join them.

"Just ignore them." Morvin asks his wife to ignore them.

"Something's tickled them." The Doctor says.

"They told us it was fancy dress. Very funny, I'm sure." Foon reminds herself.

"They're just picking on us because we haven't paid. We won our tickets in a competition." Morvin tells them.

"I had to name the five husbands of Joofie Crystalle in By the Light of the Asteroid. Did you ever watch By the Light of the Asteroid?" Foon tells them what competition they entered.

"Is that the one with the twins?" The Doctor says. "Sophia introduced me to it."

"That's it. Oh, it's marvellous." Foon comments.

"But we're not good enough for that lot. They think we should be in steerage." Morvin tells them.

"Well, can't have that, can we?" The Doctor asks them as with his back towards the toffs, the Doctor aims his sonic screwdriver at the champagne bottle in the bucket on their table. The cork pops out, spraying their expensive clothes with alcohol.

"Did you do that?" Foon asks him.

"Maybe." Sophia inquires.

"We like you two." Foon tells the Doctor and Sophia.

"We do. I'm Morvin Van Hoff. This is my good woman, Foon." Morvin introduces himself and his wife.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor and this is my lovely lady, Sophia." The Doctor introduces himself and Sophia.

"Oh, I'm going to need a Doctor, time I've finished with that buffet. Have a buffalo wing. They must be enormous, these buffalo. So many wings." Foon says as she asks them if they would like food.

 **"Attention please. Shore leave tickets Red Six Seven now activated. Red Six Seven."**

"Red Six Seven. That's us. Are you Red Six Seven?" Foon asks them if they are Red 6,7.

"Might as well be." The Doctor says.

"You and I are, I have tickets because well, _I stole them._ " Sophia reveals to him.

"Come on, then. We're going to Earth." Morvin tells them.

An old man in a tweed suit named Mr. Copper is holding up a sign.

"Red Six Seven. Red Six Seven. This way, fast as you can." Mister Copper tells the passengers.

"I got you that drink." Astrid tells the Doctor.

"And I got you a treat. Come on." The Doctor says to her.

"Red Six Seven departing shortly." Mister Copper says as the Doctor shows him the psychic paper.

"Red Six Seven plus one." The Doctor tells Mister Copper with the pyschic paper.

"Quickly, sir, please, and take two teleport bracelets if you would." Mister Copper tells them as he provides the teleport bracelets.

"I'll get the sack." Astrid tells him.

"Brand new sky." The Doctor promises her.

"If you're lucky, Astrid." Sophia says.

"To repeat, I am Mister Copper, the ship's historian, and I shall be taking you to old London town in the country of UK, ruled over by good King Wenceslas. Now, human beings worship the great god Santa, a creature with fearsome claws, and his wife Mary. And every Christmas Eve, the people of UK go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for Christmas dinner like savages." Mister Copper tries to describe the true meaning of Christmas to a group of passengers.

"Excuse me. Sorry, sorry, but, er, where did you get all this from?" The Doctor tries to ask Mister Copper's vast knowlodge of Earth.

"Well, I have a first class degree in Earthonomics. Now, stand by." Mister Copper tells the Doctor as the little red alien from before, named Bannakaffalatta runs up.

"And me! And me! Red Six Seven." Bannakaffalatta shouts to Mister Copper.

"Well, take a bracelet, please, sir." Mister Copper tells the red alien.

"But, er, hold on, hold on. What was your name?" The Doctor inquires the red (conker shaped) alien's name.

"Bannakaffalatta." Bannakaffalatta names himself for the Doctor.

"Okay, Bannakaffalatta. But it's Christmas Eve down there. Late night shopping, tons of people. He's like a talking conker. No offence, but you'll cause a riot because the streets are going to be packed with shoppers and parties and..." The Doctor complains about Bannakaffalatta with him being sighted by the humans before he is teleported.

 **-!-**

The group are teleported in mid word to an empty shopping street.

"Oh." The Doctor reliases.

"Now, spending money. I have a credit card in Earth currency if you want to buy trinkets, or stockings, or the local delicacy, which is known as beef. But don't stray too far, it could be dangerous. Any day now they start boxing." Mister Copper says about spending money and what has happened.

"Very good." Bannakaffalatta comments.

"It should be full. It should be busy. Something's wrong." The Doctor points out the mistake.

"But it's beautiful." Astrid comments.

"And that is the true beauty of it." Sophia says.

"Really? Do you think so? It's just a street. The pyramids are beautiful, and New Zealand." The Doctor tells Astrid about more other locations on Earth to visit.

"But it's a different planet. I'm standing on a different planet. There's concrete and shops. Alien shops. Real alien shops! Look, no stars in the sky. And it smells. It stinks! Oh, this is amazing. Thank you!" Astrid describes the street as she exclaims and thanks the Doctor and Sophia.

"Yeah? Come on then, let's have a look." The Doctor says as the run to a newstand where next to the it is a billboard for The Examiner, headline - London Deserted. The proprietor has a Union Flag behind him. This is Wilfred Moft (a companion that will appear later in Series 4 and the Specials).

"Hello, there. Sorry, obvious question, but where's everybody gone?" The Doctor asks about where everybody has gone.

"Oh ho, scared!" Wilf tells him.

"Scared of what?" Sophia asks Wilf.

"Where've you been living? London at Christmas? Not safe, is it." Wilf tells them.

"Why?" The Doctor inquires.

"Well, it's them, up above. Look, Christmas before last we had that big bloody spaceship, everyone standing on a roof. And then last year, that Christmas Star electrocuting all over the place, draining the Thames." Wilf explains about the past two Christmases ( _The Christmas Invasion and The Runaway Bride._ )

"This place is amazing." Astrid comments.

"And this year, Lord knows what. So, everybody's scarpered. Gone to the country. All except me and Her Majesty." Wilf explains the people in London.

 **"Her Majesty the Queen has confirmed that she'll be staying in Buckingham Palace throughout the festive season to show the people of London, and the world, that there's nothing to fear."**

"God bless her. We stand vigil." Wilf says.

"Well, between you and me, I think her Majesty's got it right. Far as I know, this year, nothing to worry about." The Doctor convinces him before he, Sophia and Astrid vanish.

"Then again." Wilf says otherwise.

 **-!-**

"I was in mid-sentence." The Doctor complains.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that. A bit of a problem. If I could have your bracelets." Mister Copper apolgizes as he asks for the braclets to be handed in.

"Apologies, ladies and gentlemen, and Bannakaffalatta. We seem to have suffered a slight power fluctuation. If you'd like to return to the festivities. And on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners, free drinks will be provided." The Steward explains his apoligies for the ship.

"Thank you." Foon thanks the Steward for the drinks.

"That was the best. The best!" Astrid comments.

"What sort of power fluctuation?" The Doctor asks about the power fluctuation.

"Please, don't ask about that." Sophia complains to him.

The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to unfasten the frame and get at the electronics behind it. He changes the image to ship's status. The shields are off-line. The Doctor looks out of the nearby porthole to see the three fireballs heading their way.

 **-!-**

The speaking tube whistles onto the bridge.

"Is that the bridge? I need to talk to the Captain. You've got a meteoroid storm coming in west zero by north two." The Doctor asks for their attention.

"Who is this?" The Captain asks about the Doctor's idenity.

"Never mind that, your shields are down. Check your scanners, Captain. You've got meteoroids coming in and now shielding." The Doctor explains to the Captain.

"You have no authorisation. You will clear the comms at once." The Captain commands the Doctor.

"Yeah? Just look starboard!" The Doctor shouts to them.

"Come with me, sir." The Steward asks the Doctor as he is being escorted off deck. Sophia notices it as she tries to wrestle with the other members of staff. "You've got a rock storm heading for this ship and the shields are down."

The Doctor gets away from his escort. He takes the microphone stand from the singer.

"Everyone, listen to me! This is an emergency! Get to the lifeb." The Doctor annouces before a Host puts its hand over the Doctor's mouth. "Look out the windows!"

The Doctor is taken away.

"Him friend." Bannakaffalatta notes to the guards as Rickston sees the meteoroids.

"If you don't believe me, check the shields yourself." The Doctor tells them.

"Sir, I can vouch for him!" Sophia says.

"Look, Steward, he's just had a bit too much to drink." Morvin says.

"Sir, something seems to have gone wrong. All the teleports have gone down." Mister Copper complains.

"Not now!" The Steward tells them.

A piece of hot rock breaks through a window and lands at Rickston Slade's feet.

 **"Oxygen membrane holding. Oxygen membrane holding."**

Rickston goes to a nearby Host.

"You there. Has anyone checked the external shielding?" Rickston asks the Host.

"Information. You are all going to die." The Host proclaims.

"Where's the Chief Steward?" Rickston asks an officer about the Chief Steward.

"Er, he went that way, sir." The officer tells Rickston.

 **-!-**

"The shields are down. We are going to get hit." The Doctor says.

"Oi! Steward! I'm telling you, the shields are down!" Rickston shouts.

"Listen to him. Listen to him!" The Doctor says to the Steward as the first fireball impacts the Titanic dead centre. Fires, panic from all the other two hit as the ship ends up in an explosion sends the Doctor, Sophia and Astrid flying, then everything goes quiet, apart from people whimpering.

"It's all right, sweetheart." Morvin comforts his wife.

"Shush. It's stopping." The Doctor tells them to be quiet as there are three large holes in the hull."You all right?"

"I think so." Astrid says.

"Of course. I am." Sophia tells the Doctor.

"Bad name for a ship. Either that or this suit is really unlucky." The Doctor says.

"Er, everyone. Ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta. I must apologise on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners. We seem to have had a small collision." The Steward apolgizes.

"Small?" Morvin asks.

"Do you know how much I paid for my ticket?" Rickston inquires.

"If I could have silence, ladies, gentlemen. Please. Quiet! Thank you. I'm sure Max Capricorn Cruiseliners will be able to reimburse you for any inconvenience, but first I would point out that we're very much alive." The Steward tells them.

"Doctor." Astrid says as Mister Copper has a cut on his head. "Are you all right?"

"She is, after all, a fine, sturdy ship. If you could all stay here while I ascertain the exact nature of the situation." The Steward says as he goes to a nearby hatch.

"Don't open it!" The Doctor tells him as the Chief Steward is sucked out into space. Everybody hangs onto the nearest fixed object while the Doctor sonics a control panel that is flashing Vacuum Breach. It changes to Oxygen Shield.

 **"Oxygen shield stabilised."**

"Everyone all right? Astrid?" The Doctor asks if everyone is all right in the group.

"Yeah." Astrid agrees.

"Sophia? Foon? Morvin? Mister Copper? Bannakaffalatta?" The Doctor inquires the rest in group.

"Yes." Bannakaffalatta says.

"You, what was your name?" The Doctor asks about the man's name from before.

"Rickston Slade." Rickston tells the Doctor.

"You all right?" The Doctor inquries.

"No thanks to that idiot." Slade says.

"The steward just died." Astrid tells him.

"Then he's a dead idiot." Rickston counter-acts her.

"All right, calm down. Just stay still, all of you. Hold on." The Doctor tells them.

"What happened? How come the shields were down?" Astrid asks him.

"I don't think it was an accident." The Doctor says as they look out of the hatchway and the hole in the side of the ship to the floating debris and bodies.

"How many dead?" Astrid asks about the death account.

"We're alive. Just focus on that. I will get you out of here, Astrid, I promise. Look at me. I promise. Good. Now, if we can get to Reception, I've got a spaceship tucked away. We can all get on board and. Oh." The Doctor says.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Astrid inquires.

"That's my ship over there." The Doctor says.

"Where?" Astrid asks him.

"There. That box. That little blue box." Sophia says to her.

"That's a spaceship?" Astrid asks about the box being a spaceship.

"Oi, don't knock it." The Doctor tells him.

"It's a bit small." Astrid complains.

"A bit distant. Trouble is, once it's set adrift, it's programmed to lock onto the nearest centre of gravity, and that would be the Earth." The Doctor explains before he uses a speaking tube.

"Deck twenty two to the bridge. Deck twenty two to the bridge. Is there anyone there?" The Doctor asks.

"This is the bridge." A sailor responds, his name is Midshipman Frame.

"Oh hello, sailor. Good to hear you. What's the situation up there?" The Doctor inquires.

"We've got air. The oxygen field is holding, but the Captain, he's dead. He did it. I watched while he took down the shields. There was nothing I could do. I tried. I did try." Midshipman Frame explains.

"All right. Just stay calm. Tell me your name. What's your name?" The Doctor asks his name.

"Midshipman Frame." Frame names himself.

"Nice to meet you, sir. What's the state of the engines?" The Doctor asks about the engines.

"They're er. Hold on..." Frame says.

"Have you been injured?" The Doctor asks him.

"I'm all right." Frame tells him. "Oh, my Vot. They're cycling down."

"That's a nuclear storm drive, yes?" The Doctor asks Frame.

"Yeah." Frame agrees.

"The moment they're gone... we lose orbit." The Doctor says.

"The planet." Frame tells them.

"Oh, yes. If we hit the planet, the nuclear storm explodes and wipes out life on Earth. Midshipman, I need you to fire up the engine containment field and feed it back into the core." The Doctor explains.

"This is never going to work." Frame disagrees.

"Trust me, it'll keep the engines going until I can get to the bridge." The Doctor says to him.

"We're going to die." Foon figures.

"Are you saying someone's done this on purpose?" Mister Copper asks the Doctor.

"We are. We're going to die." Foon says.

"We're just a cruise ship." Astrid reminds them.

"Okay, okay. Shush, shush, shush, shush, shush. First things first. One. We are going to climb through this ship. B. No. Two. We're going to reach the bridge. Three. Or C. We're going to save the Titanic. And, coming in a very low four, or D, or that little iv in brackets they use in footnotes, why. Right then, follow me." The Doctor gives them instructions.

"Hang on a minute. Who put you in charge and who the hell are you anyway?" Rickston asks him who he is.

"I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I'm nine hundred and three years old and I'm the man who's going to save your lives and all six billion people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?" The Doctor annouces to everyone as he asks if anyone has a problem with him.

"No." Rickston says.

"In that case, allons-y!" The Doctor tells him.

 **-!-**

The Doctor pushes open a bulkhead door with just a little debris against it.

"Careful. Follow me." The Doctor says.

"Rather ironic, but this is very much in the spirit of Christmas. It's a festival of violence. They say that human beings only survive depending on whether they've been good or bad. It's barbaric." Mister Copper judges Christmas.

"Actually, that's not true. Christmas is a time of, of peace and thanksgiving and what am I on about? My Christmases are always like this." The Doctor tries to disagree with Mister Copper before he finds a Host under some metal plates. "We've got a Host. Strength of ten. If we can mend it, we can use it to fix the rubble."

"We can do robotics. Both of us." Morvin says.

"We work on the milk market back on Sto. It's all robot staff." Foon says.

"See if you can get it working. Let's have a look." The Doctor tells him as he leads the rest of them further up.

"It's blocked." Astrid says.

"So what do we do?" The Doctor asks her.

"We shift it." Astrid says.

"That's the attitude. Rickston, Mister Copper, and you, Bannakaffalatta. Look, can I just call you Banna? It's going to save a lot of time." The Doctor says as he wants to call Bannakaffalatta, Banna.

"No. Bannakaffalatta." Bannakaffalatta says to him.

"All right then, Bannakaffalatta. There's a gap in the middle. See if you can get through." The Doctor tells him to move as the ship shakes and more debris shifts.

"This whole thing could come crashing down any minute." Rickston complains.

"Oh, Rickston, I forgot. Did you get that message?" The Doctor asks him about the message.

"No. What message?" Rickston asks him.

"Shut up!" The Doctor tells him.

"Bannakaffalatta made it." Bannakaffalatta congratulates himself.

"I'm small enough, I can get through." Astrid says.

"Careful." Sophia warns Astrid.

"I'm fine." Astrid says.

"Thing is, how are Mister and Mrs Fatso going to get through that gap?" Rickston asks himself about the family.

"Rickston, we make the space bigger." Sophia says as Foon has heard the comment. Morvin laughs.

"What happened? Did they find a doughnut?" Rickston asks.

"I can clear it from this side. Just tell me if it starts moving. Bannakaffalatta, what's wrong?" Astrid notes as she inquires about Bannakaffalatta.

"Shush." He tells her.

"What is it?"

"Can't say."

"Are you hurt?" Astrid asks him.

"Ashamed." Bannkaffalatta says.

"Of what?" Astrid asks him.

"Poor Bannakaffalatta." Bannakaffalatta reveals as he pulls up his shirt to him being a cyborg.

"You're a cyborg." Astrid says.

"Had accident long ago. Secret." Bannakaffalatta tells her.

"No, but everything's changed now. Cyborgs are getting equal rights. They passed a law back on Sto. You can even get married." Astrid explains.

"Marry you?" Bannakaffalatta asks to marry Astrid.

"Well, you can buy me a drink first. Come on. Let's recharge you. Just stay there for a bit." Astrid says.

"Tell no one." Bannkaffalatta tells her.

"I promise." Astrid promises him.

"What's going on up there?" The Doctor asks them.

"I think Bannakaffalatta and I just got engaged." Astrid reveals to him.

"Aww... I hope it goes well for you two." Sophia says.

-Author's Note-

Hello and welcome to the updated Author's Note. I have changed it during my week off. Which was okay. But I did start this on Thursday afternoon, so I planned for today which ends that week hiatus. And yes, I have changed a lot. Oh yes, there is a review from the end of The Beating of Her Hearts which I didn't find until Tuesday, sorry. And guess who it is?

No, not Son of Whitebeard, he's blocked.

 **Dimas15: Your welcome, hope you have a good day and good luck with everything.**

Thank you, you deserve those three mentions.

So, there we go. Enjoy this first chapter of Letting Go Of Her Hearts.

 _ **The Imperial Ghost - November 22nd, 2015.**_


	2. Voyage of The Damned - Part 2

**Voyage of The Damned - Part 2**

"Mister Frame, how's things?" The Doctor asks about how things are.

"Doctor, I've got life signs all over the ship but they're going out one by one." Frame explains.

"What is it? Are they losing air?" The Doctor inquires.

"No." Frame says. "One of them said it's the Host. It's something to do with the Host."

"It's working!" Morvin shouts.

"Kill."

"Turn it off!" The Doctor orders them.

"I can't, Doctor!" Foon says.

"Kill. Kill. Kill."

"Go!" The Doctor says as Sophia goes through the gap as the Host has Morvin by the throat. The Doctor gets out the sonic screwdriver. "Double deadlock!"

The Doctor pulls the Host's hands off Morvin's throat.

"Quickly, go upstairs!" The Doctor shouts.

"Run, darling, run!" Foon tells her husband.

"Information. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill."

"Foon! Foon!" Morvin shouts.

"Rickston, get them through!" The Doctor tells Rickston.

"No chance." Rickston disagrees as he gets through the gap.

"Rickston!" Mister Copper shouts at him.

"I'll never get through there." Foon says.

"Yes, you can. Let me go first." Mister Copper says as the Host swings at the Doctor, but misses.

"Kill. Kill."

"It's the Host, they've gone berserk. Are you safe up there?" The Doctor asks Frame as the host arrive at the entrance to the bridge.

"Kill. Kill. Kill..."

Frame gets to the door control and it slams shut, trapping a Host's hand.

"Now I'm stuck!" Foon tells them.

"Come on, you can do it!" Astrid tells her as the debris shifts.

"It's going to collapse." Mister Copper says as he levers the debris up with a metal bar and Foon gets through."Rickston, vot damn it, help me."

"No way." Rickston says.

"Morvin, get through!" The Doctor tells Morvin.

"Kill. Kill. Kill."

"Doctor, he's stuck!" Astrid shouts as the Doctor pushes at Morvin's ample behind.

"Mister van Hoff, I know we've only just met, but you'll have to excuse me." The Doctor says as Morvin pops through the hole.

"That's it. We've got you. Doctor, come on, get through." Astrid says.

"Information override! You will tell me the point of origin of your command structure!" The Doctor commands the Host.

"Information. Deck thirty one." The Host replies.

"Thank you." The Doctor thanks the Host as he gets through the gap. "Thank you. Let go!"

Copper lets the bar go and the debris smashes down on the Host's head.

Up on the bridge, Frame gets the door sealed, chopping off the Host's hand. It looks at him through the window in the bulkhead.

 **-!-**

There is a trolley of sandwiches nearby.

"Morvin, look. Food." Foon says to her husband.

"Oh great. Someone's happy." Rickston complains.

"Don't have any then." Morvin tells him.

"Mister Frame, are you still there?" The Doctor asks Midshipman Frame.

"Yes, sir, but I've got Host outside. I've sealed the door." Frame explains to him.

"They've been programmed to kill. Why would anyone do that?" The Doctor inquires.

 **"** That's not the only problem, Doctor. I had to use a maximum deadlock on the door, which means no one can get in. I'm sealed off. Even if you can fix the Titanic,you can't get to the bridge." Frame explains the situation.

"Yeah, right, fine. One problem at a time. What's on deck thirty one?" The Doctor inquires what Deck 31 holds.

"Er, that's down below. It's nothing. It's just the Host storage deck. That's where we keep the robots." Frame explains.

"Well, what's that? Do you see that panel? Black. It's registering nothing. No power, no heat, no light." The Doctor asks about the room.

"I've never seen it before." Frame says.

"One hundred percent shielded. What's down there?" The Doctor still inquires.

"I'll try intensifying the scanner." Frame tells him.

"Let me know if you find anything. And keep those engines going." The Doctor says.

"Saved you some. You might be a Time King from Gaddabee but you need to eat." Astrid explains.

"Yeah, thanks." The Doctor says.

"So, you look good for nine hundred and three." Astrid comments to him.

"You should see him in the mornings." Sophia comments.

"Okay." Astrid agrees.

"Doctor, it must be well past midnight, Earth time. Christmas Day." Mister Copper says.

"So it is. Merry Christmas, Mister Copper." Sophia wishes to Mister Copper.

"This Christmas thing, what's it all about?" Astrid inquires about Christmas.

"Long story. I should know, I was there. I got the last room." The Doctor says.

"But if the planet's waking up, can't we signal them? They could send up a rocket or something." Mister Copper asks if anyone can send up a rocket to message the Titanic.

"They don't have spaceships." The Doctor notes.

"No, I read about it. They have shuffles. Space shuffles." Mister Copper tells the Doctor.

"Mister Copper, this degree in Earthonomics, where's it from?" The Doctor asks about the degree in Earthonmics.

"Honestly?" Mister Copper asks him.

"Just between us." Sophia tells him.

"Mrs Golightly's Happy Travelling University and Dry Cleaners." Mister Copper explains the place.

"You, you lied to the company to get the job?" Astrid asks him.

"I wasted my life on Sto. I was a travelling salesman, always on the road, and I reached retirement with nothing to show for it. Not even a home. And Earth sounded so exotic." Mister Copper explains his life to them.

"Hmm. I suppose it is, yeah." The Doctor says to him.

"How come you know it so well?" Astrid inquires.

"I was sort of, a few years ago, I was sort of made, well, sort of homeless, and, er, there was the Earth." The Doctor says.

"The thing is, if we survive this, there'll be police and all sorts of investigations. Now the minimum penalty for space lane fraud is ten years in jail. I'm an old man. I won't survive ten years." Mister Copper tells them about the police and the penalty on Sto as they all hear a bang!

"A Host! Move! Come on!" The Doctor says.

 **-!-**

The Doctor leads them through the next bulkhead to catwalk and a narrow fallen beam forming walkway across a massive empty space in the middle of the ship.

"Is that the only way across?" Rickston asks.

"On the other hand, it is a way across." The Doctor tells him otherwise.

" _That or Host._ " Sophia says.

"The engines are open." Astrid notes.

"Nuclear storm drive. As soon as it stops, the Titanic falls." The Doctor says.

"But that thing, it'll never take our weight." Morvin complains.

"You're going last, mate." Rickston says.

"It's nitrofin metal. It's stronger than it looks." The Doctor tells him otherwise.

"All the same, Rickston's right. Me and Foon should..." Morvin says as he steps forward and the metal under his foot gives way. He falls towards the engine furnace.

"Morvin!" Foon screeches.

"I told you. I told you!" Slade tells him.

"Just shut up. Shut up!" Sophia says to him.

"Bring him back! Can't you bring him back? Bring him back, Doctor!" Foon requests the Doctor to bring her husband back to life.

"I can't. I'm sorry, I can't." The Doctor tells her.

"You promised me." Foon says.

"I know. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The Doctor tells her.

"Doctor, I rather think that those things have got our scent." Mr Copper says.

"I'm not waiting." Slade says.

"Careful. Take it slowly!" The Doctor tells him as the ship shakes and Slade falls onto the beam.

"Oh, Vot help me." Rickston asks for help for himself.

"You're okay. A step at a time. Come on, you can do it." The Doctor tries to convince him.

"Kill. Kill. Kill." The Host shouts.

"They're getting nearer." Mister Copper says.

"Seal us in." The Doctor tells the team.

"You're leaving us trapped, wouldn't you say?" Mister Copper asks if they are trapped.

"Never say trapped, just inconveniently circumstanced." The Doctor says as he asks to call trapped something else.

"Oh." Mister Copper says as the Doctor sonics the bulkhead controls.

"I'm okay." Rickston says.

"Maybe he's all right. Maybe, maybe there's a gravity curve down there or something. I don't know. Maybe he's just unconscious." Foon asks if there is something down in the engines that can change him.

"I'm sorry, Foon. He's gone." Astrid tells him as Foon sobs in Astrid's arms, Rickston Slade makes it to the other side.

"Yes. Oh. yes! Who's good!" Rickston congatualtes himself.

"Bannakaffalatta, you go next." The Doctor tells Bannakaffalatta.

"Bannakaffalatta small." Bannakaffalatta tells him.

"Slowly!" The Doctor reminds him as the Host are hammering on the bulkhead door.

"They've found us." Mister Copper says.

"Astrid, get across right now." The Doctor tells Astrid.

"What about you?" Astrid asks.

"Just do it. Go on. Mister Copper, we can't wait." The Doctor says as he wants Mr Copper to go.

"No, but we..." Mister Copper tells him.

"Don't argue. Foon, you've got to get across right now." The Doctor says as he asks Foon to go.

"What for? What am I going to do without him?" Foon inquires.

"Doctor? The door's locked!" Rickston complains about the door being locked as Sophia moves onto the bridge.

"Just think. What would he want, eh?" The Doctor asks.

"He don't want nothing. He's dead." Foon says.

"Doctor, I can't open the door. We need the whirling key thing of yours." Rickston tells the Doctor.

"I can't leave her." The Doctor tells him.

"She'll get us all killed if we can't get out." Rickston says.

"Mrs van Hoff, I am coming back for you. All right?" The Doctor tells him as he follows the other three across the rickety bridge.

"Too many people!" Bannakaffalatta complains.

"Oi! Don't get spiky with me. Keep going." The Doctor says as he tells Bannakaffalatta as he gets across the weakest bit in the middle, followed by Astrid.

"It's going to fall." Astrid says.

"It's just settling. Keep going." The Doctor tells them as it goes quiet.

"They've stopped." Astrid says.

"Gone away?" Bannakaffalatta inquires.

"Why would they give up?" Sophia asks.

"Never mind that. Keep coming." Rickston tells them.

"Where have they gone? Where are the Host?" The Doctor inquires.

"I'm afraid we've forgotten the traditions of Christmas. That angels have wings!" Mister Copper reminds him as the group of Host glide down and surround them.

"Information. Kill." The Host says as they remove their haloes.

"Arm yourself, all of you." The Doctor orders them as everyone on the bridge grabs a bit of pipe and uses it as a bat to send the haloes flying, but one cuts the Doctor's arm and another injures Copper's side.

"I can't." Astrid says.

"Bannakaffalatta stop. Bannakaffalatta proud. Bannakaffalatta cyborg!" Bannakaffalatta annouces as he lifts his shirt and sends out an energy pulse. It short-circuits the Host, sending them plummeting down into the engine core, except one that lands on the catwalk behind the Doctor.

"Electromagnetic pulse took out the robotics. Oh, Bannakaffalatta, that was brilliant!" The Doctor congratulates Bannakaffalatta as the cyborg collapses.

"He's used all his power." Astrid says.

"Did good?" Bannakaffalatta asks her.

"You saved our lives." Sophia tells him.

"Bannakaffalatta happy." Bannakaffalatta says.

"We can recharge you. Get you to a power point and just plug you in." Astrid says.

"Too late." Bannakaffalatta tells him.

"No, but you got to get me that drink, remember?" Astrid reminds Bannakaffalatta.

"Pretty girl." Bannakaffalatta comments on Astrid's appearence before he dies. Astrid starts to fasten his shirt, but Copper reaches for a component.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me." Mister Copper says.

"Leave him alone." Astrid tells Mister Copper.

"It's the EMP transmitter. He'd want us to use it. I used to sell these things. They'd always give me a bed for the night in the cyborg caravans. They're good people. But if we can recharge it, we can use it as a weapon against the rest of the Host. Bannakaffalatta might have saved us all." Mister Copper explains about the EMP transmitter

"Do you think? Try telling him that." Ricktson says as the Host that landed behind the Doctor is moving.

"Information. Reboot." The Host says.

"Use the EMP!" Rickston asks for the EMP to be used.

"It's dead. It's dead." Mister Copper says.

"It's got to have emergency." Astrid tells them.

"No, no, no. Hold on. Override loophole. Security protocol ten. Six six six. Er, twenty one, four, five, six, seven, eight. I don't know, forty two? Er, one!" The Doctor tries to talk with the Host.

"Information. State request." The Host asks for it's request.

"Good. Right. You've been ordered to kill the survivors, but why?" The Doctor inquires.

"Information. No witnesses." The Host says.

"But this ship's going to fall on the Earth and kill everyone. The human race have nothing to do with the Titanic, so that contravenes your orders, yes?" The Doctor explains as he asks about the orders.

"Information. Incorrect." The Host disagrees.

"But why do you want to destroy the Earth?" The Doctor asks.

"Information. It is the plan." The Host reveals.

"What plan?" The Doctor inquires the plan.

"Information. Protocol grants you only three questions. These three questions have been used." The Host explains the protocal and it's question limits.

"Well, you could have warned me." The Doctor tells him.

"Information. Now you will die." The Host says to him as the Host raises its halo, it is lassoed from behind.

"You're coming with me." Foon tells the Host as she jumps over the side, dragging the Host after her.

"No!" The Doctor shouts as Foon rejoins Morvin.

"No more."

" _I'm sorry._ " Sophia apoligizes.

 _"It's not your fault. It's never your fault."_ The Doctor tells her.

 **-!-**

"Right. Get yourself up to Reception One. Once you're there, Mister Copper, you've got staff access to the computer. Try to find a way of transmitting an SOS. Astrid, you're in charge of this." The Doctor says as he explains to the EMP transmitter."Once it's powered up, it'll take out a Host within fifty yards but then it needs sixty seconds to recharge. Got it? Rickston, take this." He gives Rickston the sonic screwdriver. "I've preset it. Just hold down that button, it'll open doors. Do not lose it! You got that? Now go and open the next door. Go on, go!"

"All right!" Rickston tells him as the Doctor hands a first aid kit to Copper.

"Mister Copper, you're going to need this. I need you fighting fit. Astrid, where's the power points?" The Doctor continues his instructions.

"Under the comms." Astrid tells him as they plug in the EMP transmitter.

"See, when it's ready, that blue light comes on there." The Doctor says.

"You're talking as if you're not coming with us." Astrid asks.

"There's something down on deck thirty one. I'm going to find out what it is." The Doctor says.

"What if you meet a Host?" Astrid asks him.

"Well, then I'll just have some fun." The Doctor says.

"Sounds like you two do this kind of thing all the time." Astrid asks him.

"Not by choice. All we do is travel. That's what we are. Just travellers. Imagine it. No tax, no bills, no boss. Just the open sky." The Doctor explains to Astrid.

"I'm sort of unemployed now. I was thinking the blue box is kind of small, but I could squeeze in it, like a stowaway." Astrid says.

"It's not always safe." Sophia warns Astrid.

"So you need someone to take care of you. I've got no one back on Sto. No family, just me. So what do you think? Can I come with you?" Astrid asks as she has no family.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Yes." The Doctor agrees as a bang is heard from the centerface of the ship. "Mister Frame, you still with us?"

"It's the engines, sir. Final phase. There's nothing more I can do. We've got only eight minutes left." Mister Frame explains about the length of time left.

"Don't worry, I'll get there." The Doctor says.

"But the bridge is sealed off." Frame reminds the Doctor.

"Yeah, yeah, working on it. I'll get there, Mister Frame, somehow. All charged up? Mister Copper, look after her. Astrid, look after him. Rickston, er, look after yourself. And I'll see you again, I promise." The Doctor says.

"Hold on! There's an old tradition on Planet Sto." Astrid tells him.

"I have really got to go." The Doctor says.

"Just wait a minute." Astrid asks for him as she takes the first aid box from Copper, stands on it, grabs the Doctor's lapels and pulls him in for a kiss.

"Yeah, that's a, ahem, very old tradition, yeah." The Doctor says.

"Also, that's ours. Not yours." Sophia tells the Doctor. "See you later."

"Oh, yes!" The Doctor comments as he goes back across the bridge while the others carry on upwards.

 **-!-**

Slade opens a door to find three Host waiting.

"Do it!" Rickston shouts as Astrid activates the EMP and the Host collapse. They rejoice.

 **-!-**

There are four Host here. The Doctor grabs a large sauté pan for a weapon.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Security protocol one. Do you hear me? One. One! Okay, that gives me three questions. Three questions to save my life, am I right?" The Doctor asks about his final three questions.

"Information. Correct." The Host says.

"No, that wasn't one of them. I didn't mean it. That's not fair. Can I start again?" The Doctor asks to start again.

"Information. No." The Host declines the Doctor's question.

"No! No, no, no, no. That wasn't a question either. Blimey. One question left. One question. So, you've been given orders to kill the survivors but survivors must therefore be passengers or staff, but not me. I'm not a passenger. I'm not staff. Go on, scan me. You must have bio-records. No such person on board. I don't exist, therefore you can't kill me. Therefore, I'm a stowaway, and stowaways should be arrested and taken to the nearest figure of authority. And I reckon the nearest figure of authority is on deck thirty one. Final question. Am I right?" The Doctor explains his final question.

"Information. Correct." The Host confirms it.

"Brilliant. Take me to your leader. I've always wanted to say that." The Doctor quotes a line. (even though he has already said it before in episodes like, _Aliens of London_.)

 **-!-**

Sophia zaps the four Host in the room.

"Rickston, seal the doors, make the room secure. Mister Copper, keep an eye on the Host. I need to check the computer. We need that SOS." Sophia explains her instructions as the computer doesn't work. Then she sees the rack of teleport bracelets, and picks up the speaking tube. "Bridge, this is Reception one."

"Who's there?" Frame asks who is at Reception 1.

"Sophia McCrimmion. I was with the Doctor. Tell me, can you divert power to the teleport system?" Sophia inquires to Mister Frame.

"No way. I'm using everything I got to keep the engines running." Mister Frame says.

"It's just one trip. I need to get to deck thirty one." Sophia tells Mister Frame.

"And I'm telling you, no." Mister Frame declines.

"Mister Frame, this is for the Doctor. He's gone down there on his own, and I, I can't just leave him. He's done everything he can to save us. It's time we did something to help him." Sophia explains to him as she is a eternal companion and love-life to him.

"Giving you power." Mister Frame says as Sophia puts on a bracelet.

"Mister Copper, I'm going to find him." Sophia tells as Mister Copper is taking apart a Host.

"Good luck." Mister Copper comments.

 **-!-**

"Wow. Now that is what you call a fixer upper. Come on then, Host with the most, this ultimate authority of yours. Who is it?" The Doctor asks who is working behind the scenes as a Host opens a pair of doors. "Oh, that's clever. That's an omnistate impact chamber. Indestructible. You can survive anything in there. Sit through a supernova. Or a shipwreck. Only one person can have the power and the money to hide themselves on board like this and I should know, because..."

A large device with small wheels has come out. There is a head attached to the machinery.

"My name is Max." Max Capricorn says as his gold tooth glints.

"It really does that." The Doctor comments.

"Who the hell is this?" Max Capricorn inquires about the Doctor.

"I'm the Doctor. Hello." The Doctor introduces himself.

"Information. Stowaway." A Host explains information.

"Kill him." Max orders.

"Oh, no, no, no. Wait, but you can't. Not now. Come on, Max. You've given me so much good material like, how to get ahead in business. See? Head? Head in business? No?" The Doctor declines to be killed as he jokes about Max.

"Oh, ho, ho, the office joker. I like a funny man. No one's been funny with me for years." Max Capricorn says to the Doctor.

"I can't think why." The Doctor tells Max Capricorn.

"A hundred and seventy six years of running the company have taken their toll." Max Capricorn explains what has happened to him.

"Yeah but, nice wheels." The Doctor comments on Max's life support box.

"No, a life support system, in a society that despises cyborgs. I've had to hide away for years, running the company by hologram. Host, situation report." Max explains about himself running the company.

"Information. Titanic is still in orbit." A Host explains the status.

"Let me see. We should have crashed by now. What's gone wrong? The engines are still running! They should have stopped!" Max Capricorn complains.

"When they do, the Earth gets roasted. I don't understand. What's the Earth got to do with it?" The Doctor asks about the Earth in Max's plan.

"This interview is terminated." Max Capricorn tells him as Sophia and Astrid hide. But Sophia has to complain with hand signals as this conversation goes on as the Doctor and Capricorn argue.

Sophia -"Astrid? What are you doing here?"

Astrid - "I'm here to save the Doctor."

Sophia - "Just because you got to get to his lips with your phony excuse."

Astrid - "It's a not an excuse."

Sophia - "Alright then. Let's just save him okay."

"No. No, no, no, no, no. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I can work it out. It's like a task. I'm your apprentice. Just watch me. So, business is failing and you wreck the ship so that makes things even worse. Oh, yes! No. Yes. The business isn't failing, it's failed. Past tense." The Doctor explains the company and the plan.

"My own board voted me out. Stabbed me in the back." Max says.

"If you had a back. So, you scupper the ship, wipe out any survivors just in case anyone's rumbled you and the board find their shares halved in value. Oh, but that's not enough. No. Because if a Max Capricorn ship hits the Earth, it destroys an entire planet. Outrage back home. Scandal! The business is wiped out." The Doctor continues his explaination.

"And the whole board thrown in jail for mass murder." Max imagines the ending.

"While you sit there, safe inside the impact chamber." The Doctor says to him.

"I have men waiting to retrieve me from the ruins and enough off-world accounts to retire me to the beaches of Penhaxico Two, where the ladies, so I'm told, are very fond of metal." Max says.

"So that's the plan. A retirement plan. Two thousand people on this ship, six billion underneath us, all of them slaughtered, and why? Because Max Capricorn is a loser." The Doctor comments.

"I never lose." Max says.

"You can't even sink the Titanic." The Doctor tells Max.

"Oh, but I can, Doctor. I can cancel the engines from here." Max reveals to the Doctor.

 **-!-**

An alarm goes off.

"Engines closing." The computer says.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Mister Frame complains.

"Engines closing. Engines closing."

 **-!-**

"You can't do this!" The Doctor complains.

"Host, hold him." Max commands the Host. "Not so clever now, Doctor. A shame we couldn't work together. You're rather good. All that banter yet not a word wasted. Time for me to retire. The Titanic is falling. The sky will burn. Let the Christmas inferno commence. Oh. Oh, Host. Kill him."

"Mister Capricorn!" Astrid shouts as she is in a fork lift. "I resign."

She drives towards Capricorn.

"Astrid, don't!" Sophia shouts as she gets the forks under Capricorn's life support and the two machines battle each other. A Host throws its halo, which glances off Astrid's cab.

"He's cut the brake line!" The Doctor says as Astrid, Sophia and the Doctor look at each other before she lifts Capricorn completely off the ground and powers them both forward through the guard rail, to fall into the engines. "Astrid!"

The Host release the Doctor and he runs forward to watch her falling. Sophia catches him.

 _"Titanic falling. Voyage terminated. Voyage terminated."_

Frame tries to steer the falling liner while Slade and Copper hold on for grim death. The Doctor walks through a shower of debris, then snaps his fingers. Two Host take his arms and fly him upwards, arms punching forward like Superman. They smash through into the bridge. Sophia follows through.

 _"Deadlock broken."_

"Ah, Midshipman Frame. At last." The Doctor says.

"We've been so longing to see you!" Sophia comments.

"Er, but, but the Host." Frame asks.

"Controller dead, they divert to the next highest authority, and that's me." The Doctor tells him.

"There's nothing we can do. There's no power. The ship's going to fall." Frame explains the ship's status.

 _"Titanic falling."_

"What's your first name?" Sophia inquires.

"Alonso." Mister Frame reveals his first name.

"You're kidding me." The Doctor comments.

"What?" Frame asks him.

 _"You love that name."_

"That's something else I've always wanted to say. Allons-y, Alonso. Whoa!" The Doctor says as he spins the ship's wheel. Alarms sound as they enter the upper atmosphere, then start to burn on entry. Once into the cloud layer, the Doctor turns on a scanner with his foot to see that their impact area is in west Central London. He grabs the comms.

"Oh. Hello, yes. Could you get me Buckingham Palace?" Sophia asks about Buckingham Palace.

"And as dawn rises over Great Britain, it seems that this year the city of London has escaped alien intervention. The Queen has remained in residence in defiance of extraterrestrial attack." A news reporter explains on a report.

"Listen to me. Security code seven seven one. Now get out of there!" The Doctor shouts as the Queen escapes Buckingham Palace.

 _"Engines active."_

The Doctor pulls back on the wheel, trying to get her nose up. The Titanic misses the Palace by inches and flies up into the sky.

"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you. Happy Christmas!" The Queen wishes to the Doctor as the ship levels off, everyone starts to laugh with relief.

"Whoo!" Sophia laughs.

"Whoo hoo!" Frame laughs.

"Whoo hoo hoo!" The Doctor joins laughing with Sophia and Frame as the portrait of Capricorn on the wall falls down into one of the remaining small fires. "Used the heat of re-entry to fire up the secondary storm drive. Unsinkable, that's me."

"Of course. Unsinkable!" Sophia agrees.

"We made it." Frame congratulates.

"Not all of us. Teleport! She was wearing a teleport bracelet." The Doctor says.

 **-!-**

The Doctor runs into the reception area.

"Rickston, sonic!" The Doctor requests as he catches his screwdriver. "Mister Copper, the teleports, have they got emergency settings?"

"I don't know. They should have." Mister Copper says.

"She fell, Mister Copper. She fell. What's the emergency code?" The Doctor requests the emergency code.

"What the hell are you doing?" Mister Frame asks what he is doing.

"We can bring her back." The Doctor says as he works on the teleport unit.

"If a passenger has an accident on shore leave and they're still wearing their teleport, their molecules are automatically suspended and held in stasis, so of we can just trigger the shift." Mister Copper explains.

"There!" The Doctor says as an image of Astrid appears.

"I'm falling." Astrid tells everyone.

"Only halfway there. Come on." The Doctor says.

"I keep falling."

"Feed back the molecule grid. Boost it with the restoration matrix. No, no, no, no, no! Need more phase containment." The Doctor explains to himself. "If I can just link up the surface suspension. I just need to override the safety. I can do this. I can do it."

"Doctor, let her go." Sophia tells the Doctor.

"I can do anything!" The Doctor says as he kicks the teleporter.

"Stop me falling."

"There's not enough left. The system was too badly damaged. She's just atoms, Doctor. An echo with the ghost of consciousness. She's stardust." Mister Copper explains to him.

"Astrid Peth, citizen of Sto. The woman who looked at the stars and dreamt of travelling. There's an old tradition." The Doctor says as he kisses Astrid."Now you can travel forever."

He points sonic screwdriver at a window, which opens. Astrid turns into specks of light.

"You're not falling, Astrid, you're flying." The Doctor tells her as she goes out into space.

 **Later...**

"The engines have stabilised. We're holding steady till we get help, and I've sent the SOS. A rescue ship should be here within twenty minutes. And they're digging out the records on Max Capricorn. It should be quite a story." Mister Frame explains.

"They'll want to talk to all of us, I suppose." Mister Copper says.

"I'd have thought so, yeah." Mister Frame tells him.

"I think one or two inconvenient truths might come to light. Still, it's my own fault, and ten years in jail is better than dying." Mister Copper tells the Doctor.

"Doctor, I never said thank you. The funny thing is, I said Max Capricorn was falling apart. Just before the crash, I sold all my shares, transferred them to his rivals. It's made me rich. What do you think of that?" Rickston thanks the Doctor and reveals about Max Capricorn as his vone rings.

"Of all the people to survive, he's not the one you would have chosen, is he? But if you could choose, Doctor, if you decide who lives and who dies, that would make you a monster." Mister Copper asks about what would happen if the Doctor could choose his way.

"Mister Copper, I think you deserve one of these." The Doctor says as he, Sophia and Mister Copper put on teleport bracelets. Frame salutes just before they disappear.

 **-!-**

They walk across the grass to the Tardis. It is snowing, as it should be.

"So, Great Britain is part of Europey, and just across the British Channel, you've got Great France and Great Germany." Mister Copper tries to explain about the UK and other places in Europe.

"No, no, it's just, it's just France and Germany. Only Britain is Great." Sophia corrects him.

"Oh, and they're all at war with the continent of Ham Erica." Mister Copper explains about war.

"No. Well, not yet. Er, could argue that one. There she is. Survive anything." The Doctor doesn't hope as he finds the Tardis.

"You know, between you and me, I don't even thing this snow is real. I think it's the ballast from the Titanic's salvage entering the atmosphere." Mister Copper says about the snow.

"Yeah. One of these days it might snow for real." The Doctor says.

"So, I, I suppose you'll be off." Mister Copper says.

"The open sky." Sophia imagines to him.

"And, what about me?" Mister Copper asks about himself.

"I travel alone. It's best that way." The Doctor says.

"What am I supposed to do?" Mister Copper inquires.

"Give me that credit card." The Doctor asks about the credit card that Mister Copper still owns.

"It's just petty cash. Spending money. It's all done by computer. I didn't really know the currency, so I thought a million might cover it." Mister Copper explains to them.

"A million? Pounds?" Sophia inquires about the currency amount.

"That enough for trinkets?" Mister Copper asks about trinkets.

"Mister Copper, a million pounds is worth fifty million credits." The Doctor says the currency exchange.

"How much?" Mister Copper asks how much pounds to credits.

"Fifty million and fifty six." The Doctor says the exchanged currency.

"I've got money." Mister Copper says to himself.

"Yes, you have." Sophia agrees.

"Oh, my word. Oh, my Vot! Oh, my goodness me. Yee ha!" Mister Copper comments on his new amount of money for himself.

"It's all yours. Planet Earth. Now, that's a retirement plan. But just you be careful, though." The Doctor tells him to wish a retirement plan for himself.

"I will, I will. Oh, I will." Mister Copper agrees.

"No interfering. I don't want any trouble. Just, just have a nice life." The Doctor orders him.

"But I can have a house. A proper house, with a garden, and a door, and. Oh, Doctor, I will made you proud. And I can have a kitchen with chairs, and windows, and plates, and..." Mister Copper describes his items that he could have as he skips away.

"Er, where are you going?" The Doctor asks where he is going.

"Well, I've no idea." Mister Copper says.

"No, me neither." The Doctor tells Mister Copper.

"But Doctor, I won't forget her." Mister Copper tells the Doctor as a streak of blue starlight zig-zags across the sky.

"Merry Christmas, Mister Copper." The Doctor wishes him.

"Merry Christmas, Doctor." Sophia wishes the Doctor as he and Sophia goes into the Tardis, and it dematerialises.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry for the wait, the Basket Sponge chapters kind off cleared me down to finish the first half of the season and well, I was kind of a little wasted. December is a little hetic for me... Espically after finishing up work for the Christmas break, then I get presents at Christmas, a couple of presents and I will use them.**  
 **Espically with LEGO Dimensions and the... DOCTOR WHO LEVEL PACK!**

 **The Imperial Ghost - December 5th, 2015**  
 **P.S - 5 minutes before Hell Bent! WHAT THE HELL IS GONNA HAPPEN?**


	3. Partners In Crime

**Partners in Crime**

Both the Doctor, Sophia and Donna Noble, walk along different streets to the same glass fronted building. She goes into the main reception whilst the duo sonic their way in through a rear fire escape. Donna shows an ID to the guard at the lifts.

"Donna Noble, Health and Safety." Donna introduces herself.

 **-!-**

The Doctor flashes his psychic paper at a guard he passes.

"John Smith, Health and Safety." The Doctor introduces himself.

 **-!-**

Sophia flashes a fake ID which has been perfected at a guard near the presentation area.

"Sophia McCrimmion, Health.. and Safety." She tells the guard.

 **-!-**

A woman, named Miss Foster is giving a presentation to an audience of several dozen.

"Adipose Industries, the twenty first century way to lose weight. No exercise, no diet, no pain. Just lifelong freedom from fat. The Holy Grail of the modern age. And here it is. You just take one capsule. One capsule, once a day for three weeks, and the fat, as they say."

The film takes over.

 _"The fat just walks away."_

A woman in the audience, Penny Carter speaks.

"Excuse me, Miss Foster. If I could? I'm Penny Carter, science correspondent for The Observer. There are a thousand diet pills on the market, a thousand con men stealing people's money. How do we know the fat isn't going straight into your bank account?"

"Oh, Penny, if cynicism burnt up calories, we'd all be as thin as rakes. But if you want the science, I can oblige." Miss Foster answers as the film takes over.

 _"Adipose Industries. The Adipose capsule is composed of a synthesised mobilising lipase, bound to a large protein molecule."_

 **-!-**

The Doctor is watching the presentation in the projection room.

 _"The mobilising lipase breaks up the triglycerides stored in the adipose cells, which then enter..."_

"Health and Safety. Film department." The Doctor tells the guard near him.

 **-!-**

"One hundred percent legal, one hundred percent effective." Miss Foster explains.

"But, can I just ask, how many people have taken the pills to date?" Penny asks about the amount of pills.

"We've already got one million customers within the Greater London area alone, but from next week, we start rolling out nationwide. The future starts here. And Britain will be thin." Miss Foster explains as she numbers the amount of pills to Penny.

 **-!-**

"Good morning. I represent Adipose Industries." A load of people introduce themselves as Donna sits down next to a man in a cubicle.

"That's a three week course of pills for a special price of forty five pounds." The man next to Donna explains.

"Donna Noble, Health and Safety. Don't mind me." Donna quietly introduces herself as the Doctor finds a young woman with Sophia.

"We deliver within three working days." The young woman says to a caller.

"John Smith, Health and Safety. Don't mind me." The Doctor introduces himself with Sophia smiling at the young woman.

"The box comes with 21 days worth of pills, a full information pack, and our special free gift, an Adipose Industries pendant." The man quietly explains as Donna looks at the pendant - a gold plated Adpiose pill. The Doctor does the same.

"It's made of eighteen carat gold, and it's yours for free. No, we don't give away pens, sorry. No, I can't make an exception, no." The woman explains about the pill.

"I'll just need to keep this for testing. And I just need a list of your customers. Could you print it off?" Donna asks for the customer list and if the man can print it off for her.

"I suppose so." The man agrees with Donna.

"Where's the printer?" Donna inquires.

"Just over there, by the plant." The man tells her the location as Donna looks of the cubicle wall.

"Which plant, that plant?" Donna asks the location of the plant.

"Yeah, that's the one." The man tells her as she sits down, and up pops the Doctor.

"That's the printer there?" The Doctor asks about the printer.

"By the plant, yeah." The woman next to him agrees.

"Brilliant." The Doctor comments as he goes down and up comes Donna.

"Does it need a code? Last place I worked, the printer needed a code." Donna inquires.

"No, I can do it from here." The man tells her as Donna goes down and Sophia comes up.

"Has it got paper?" She asks.

"Yeah, Jimbo keeps it stocked." The woman says as Miss Foster walks in with two guards.

"Excuse me, everyone, if I could have your attention." Miss Foster orders as the workers stand. "On average, you're each selling forty Adipose packs per day. It's not enough. I want one hundred sales per person per day. And if not, you'll be replaced. Because if anyone's good in trimming the fat, it's me. Now. Back to it."

Miss Foster leaves and the workers sit down again.

"Anyway, if you could print that off. Thanks." The Doctor tells the woman next to him.

"So if you could just print off that list, I'll get out of your way. Lovely. Thanks,  
then. See you." Donna tells the man as she heads for the printer. The Doctor stands then sits again as Clare gives him a piece of paper.

"Thanks, then. Oh, what's that?" The Doctor asks about the paper.

"My telephone number." The woman reveals."Health and Safety. You be health, I'll be safety."

"Ah. Ah. But that contravenes er, paragraph five, subsection C. Sorry." Sophia explains a lie as Donna collects the printouts and leaves. The Doctor walks behind her to the printer and looks for his copies, then returns to Clare and Sophia.

"Me again." The Doctor tells them.

 **-!-**

"Stacy Campbell?" Donna asks the woman who has opened the door for her.

"Who wants to know?" The woman, named Stacy asks the company Donna has.

"My name's Donna. I represent Adipose Industries, and you're on the list of our valued customers." Donna introduces herself.

 **-!-**

The Doctor goes to someones house whilst Sophia runs in a different way to another house.

"Mister Roger Davey? I'm calling on behalf of Adipose Industries. Just need to ask you a few questions." The Doctor introduces himself to his customer as he comes inside to his living room.

"I've been on the pills for two weeks now. I've lost fourteen kilos." Roger explains.

"That's the same amount every day?" The Doctor inquires about the amount.

"One kilo exactly. You wake up, and it's disappeared overnight. Well, technically speaking, it's gone by ten past one in the morning." Roger tells him.

"What makes you say that?" The Doctor asks about Roger saying about the thing at 1:10am.

"That's when I get woken up. Might as well weigh myself at the same time." Roger continues as the Doctor and Roger go outside.

"It is driving me mad. Ten minutes past one, every night, bang on the dot without fail, the burglar alarm goes off. I've had experts in, I've had it replaced, I've even phoned Watchdog. But no, ten past one in the morning, off it goes." Roger explains what he's been doing since he got the first batch of the pills.

"But with no burglars?" The Doctor inquires with the burglars.

"Nothing. I've given up looking." Roger says.

"Tell me, Roger. Have you got a cat flap?" The Doctor asks about a cat flap as they go near the cat flap.

"It was here when I bought the house. I've never bothered with it, really. I'm not a cat person." Roger explains.

"No, I've met cat people. You're nothing like them." The Doctor agrees.

"It's that what it is, though? Cats getting inside the house?" Roger asks about cats getiing inside Roger's home.

"Well, thing about cat flaps is, they don't just let things in, they let things out as well." The Doctor tells him.

"Like what?" Roger asks about the cat flap explanation.

 _"The fat just walks away."_ The Doctor mocks the line in the projection room as he goes outside. "Well, thanks for your help. Tell you what, maybe you could lay off the pills for a week or so."

The Doctor's three lobed gizmo beeps.

"DOCTOR!" Sophia shouts from another part of the street.

"Oh. Got to go. Sorry." The Doctor says as he starts running towards Sophia.

Later, the Doctor is following the signal on his gizmo. He has to hit it a few times. The van arrives outside Stacy's home as Donna leaves by the back door and goes down the alleyway. The trail of knocked over dustbins tells her which way the creatures have gone. The men from the van have used butterfly nets to collect the creatures, put them into containers and then the back of the van. They drive away past Donna, and nearly knock down the Doctor. He starts chasing it. A taxi pulls up by Donna.

"Stacy Campbell?" The taxi driver asks for a woman on Donna's side of the street.

"No, she's gone." Donna says.

"Gone where?" The driver asks her where this 'Stacy' has gone.

"She's just gone." Donna tells him.

"Oh, great. Thanks for nothing." The driver complains as he puts his For Hire sign back on and drives off. In the alleyway, mere yards from Donna, the Doctor loses the signal on his gizmo and Sophia scratches her head in confusion of why the Doctor lost the signal.

 **-!-**

The Doctor is examining his version of the pendant through a magnifying glass.

"Oh, fascinating. Seems to be a bio-flip digital stitch, specifically for..." The Doctor explains before he then realises he only talking to himself and Sophia who is patting him on the back to give sorrow to him. He's felt the silence ever since Rose left him, but Martha tried to fill that void and failed. It still felt quiet.

 **-!-**

Donna parks in an alleyway near Adipose Industries, and leaves. Then the Tardis materialises nearby. They both enter the building as they did before.

"Morning." Donna comments as the Doctor goes into a storage room and sonics the door locked. Donna settles herself in a cubicle in the ladies.

"Keep an eye out. She'll come back and then she's mine." Miss Foster says as the clock moves on from 9:30 to 6:10. The call staff are leaving and the lights are being turned out. Sophia goes another way, towards the Doctor as the Doctor comes out of his hiding place. Donna does the same, then goes back in to answer her phone.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Sophia come out of the plant room onto the roof and get into the window cleaner's cradle. The Doctor lowers the cradle to Miss Foster's window. He ducks out of sight when they enter.

"This is ridiculous." Penny Carter, from earlier complains.

"Sit there." Miss Foster orders Penny.

"I'm phoning my editor." Penny says.

"I said sit." Miss Foster tells her.

The Doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to the conversation.

"You can't tie me up." Penny says. "What sort of a country do you think this is?"

"Oh, it's a beautifully fat country. And believe me, I've travelled a long way to find obesity on this scale." Miss Foster explains.

"So, come on then, Miss Foster, those pills. What are they?" Penny asks what is in the Adipose pills as Donna has arrived at the secretary's station outside the office.

"Well, you might just as well have a scoop, since you'll never see it printed." Mis Foster tells Penny as she shows a capsule to her. "This... is the spark of life."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Penny inquires.

"Officially, the capsule attracts all the fat cells and flushes them away. Well, it certainly attracts them. That part's true. But it binds the fat together and galvanises it to form a body." Miss Foster explains the capsule and it's use to the body.

"What do you mean, a body?" Penny inquires about the capsule to a 'body'.

"I am surprised you never asked about my name. I chose it well. Foster. As in foster mother. And these are my children." Miss Foster reveals the infomation of her surname as she takes a little creature named an Adipose out of a drawer and puts it on the desk.

"You're kidding me. What the hell is that?" Penny asks what the creature in front of is as Donna, Sophia and the Doctor both look through the windows.

"Adipose. It's called an Adipose. Made out of living fat." Miss Foster says.

"But I don't understand." Penny tells her.

The Doctor, Sophia and Donna see each other. Their conversation is totally silent.

The Doctor - "Donna?"

Donna - "Doctor? Doctor!"

The Doctor - "But what? What? What?"

Sophia - "It's good to see you again, Donna!"

Donna - "Oh my god! Who is she?"

The Doctor - "But how?"

Donna - "It's me!"

The Doctor - "Yes, We can see that."

Donna - "Oh, this is brilliant."

The Doctor - "What the hell are you doing there?"

Donna - "I was looking for you two."

Sophia - "What for?"

Donna - "I read it on the internet. Weird. Crept along. Heard them talking. Hid. You."

Then she realises that Miss Foster is staring at her and the Doctor.

"Are we interrupting you?" Miss Foster asks.

"Run!" The Doctor shouts.

"Get her." Miss Foster orders her guards as the Doctor zaps the office door with his sonic screwdriver."And him."

The Doctor sends the cradle back up to the roof. Donna runs upstairs as the guards shoot the office door open. They run out, and Miss Foster follows.

"What about me?" Penny complains.

 **-!-**

The Doctor, Sophia and Donna meet on the stairs and embrace.

"Oh, my God. I don't believe it. You've even got the same suit! Don't you ever change?" Donna asks the Doctor.

"He does. Just not all the time." Sophia says.

"Yeah, thanks, Donna. Not right now." The Doctor tells Donna as the guards are a few floors below. "Just like old times!"

 **-!-**

"Because I thought, how do you find the Doctor? And then I just thought, look for trouble and then he'll turn up." Donna explains as the Doctor sonics the door. "So I looked everywhere. You name it. UFOs, sightings, crop circles, sea monsters. I looked, I found them all. Like that stuff about the bees disappearing, I thought, I bet he's connected. Because the thing is, Doctor, I believe it all now. You opened my eyes. All those amazing things out there, I believe them all. Well, apart from that replica of the Titanic flying over Buckingham Palace on Christmas Day. I mean, that's got to be a hoax."

"What do you mean, the bees are disappearing?" Sophia asks about the bees.

"I don't know. That's what it says on the internet. Well, on the same site, there was all these conspiracy theories about Adipose Industries and I thought, let's take a look. " Donna continues her explaination as the Doctor sonics the cradle controls.

"In you get!" The Doctor tells her.

"What, in that thing?" Donna asks him.

"Yes, in that thing." The Doctor agrees.

"But if we go down in that, they'll just call us back up again." Donna says.

"No, no, no, because I've locked the controls with a sonic cage. I'm the only one that can control it. Not unless she's got a sonic device of her own, which is very unlikely." The Doctor corrects Donna.

Miss Foster sonics open the door to the roof, she looks down on the cradle.

"Oh. Oh, I don't think so." Miss Foster disagrees with the escape as she sonics the controls. There are sparks and the cradle drops suddenly. The Doctor manages to make the cradle stop.

"Hold on. Hold on. We can get in." The Doctor says as he tries to sonically cut through the glass.

"Deadlock the building." Miss Foster orders for the defences.

"Can't get it open!" The Doctor says.

"Well, smash it then!" Donna tells him as she finds a spanner and starts hitting the glass. Miss Foster aims her sonic pen at one of the steel cables. It starts to burn.

"Wait a minute, she's cutting the cable." Sophia says as the cable snaps, tipping Donna out. The Doctor manages to hang on. Sophia is on the side.

"Donna!" The Doctor shouts as she is dangling from the end of the cable.

"Doctor!" Donna tells the Doctor.

"Hold on!" The Doctor reminds her.

"And now, for the other one." Miss Foster says as she goes to the other side of the cradle mechanism and starts to sonic the remaining cable. The Doctor takes aim and blasts her pen out of her hand. The Doctor catches the falling pen, puts it between his teeth and climbs to another window.

"I'm going to fall!" Donna says as her legs are visible through the window.

"What the hell is going on?" Penny asks herself.

"This is all your fault. I should've stayed at home." Donna tells herself as the Doctor slides up the window.

"I won't be a minute!" The Doctor says as he climbs inside and Sophia climbs into the capsule.

"Yes, he's slippery, that one. Time we found out who he is." Miss Foster says as the Doctor runs downstairs to the office and goes to the window.

"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" Penny asks to the Doctor as Sophia climbs through the hole of where the Doctor was.

"What are you, a journalist?" The Doctor asks Penny about her occupation.

"Yes." Penny says.

"Well, make it up." The Doctor says as he unlocks the window and grabs Donna's legs. Sophia is running towards the Doctor and Donna.

"Get off!" Donna complains.

"I've got you. I've got you. Stop kicking!" The Doctor says to her as Miss Foster and the guards head downstairs. The Doctor pulls Donna inside. Sophia finally reaches to the room where the duo are in.

"Sorry, I apoligize of why I'm late." Sophia apoligizes.

"I was right. It's always like this with you, innit?" Donna asks the Doctor.

"Oh, yes! And off we go." The Doctor says.

"Oi!" Penny complains.

"Sorry!" Sophia apoligizes as she zaps Penny free from the door. "Now do yourself a favour. Please, just get out."

 **-!-**

The Doctor and Donna meet Miss Foster and her guards. Sophia sneaks around the place without

"Well, then. At last." Miss Foster introduces herself.

"Hello." Donna greets herself.

"Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor." The Doctor introduces himself to Miss Foster.

"And I'm Donna." Donna says.

"Partners in crime. And evidently off-worlders, judging by your sonic technology." Miss Foster explains.

"Oh, yes, I've still got your sonic pen. Nice. I like it. Sleek. It's kind of sleek." The Doctor comments on the sonic pen item that Miss Foster has.

"Oh, it's definitely sleek." Donna agrees.

"Yeah, and if you were to sign your real name, that would be?" The Doctor asks about Miss Foster's real idenity.

"Matron Cofelia of the Five Straighten Classabindi Nursery Fleet. Intergalactic Class." Miss Foster reveals her real idenity.

"A wet nurse, using humans as surrogates." The Doctor says.

"I've been employed by the Adiposian First Family to foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost." Miss Foster explains her role of foster.

"What do you mean lost? How do you lose a planet?" The Doctor asks about that lost planet.

"Oh, politics are none of my concern. I'm just here to take care of the children on behalf of the parents." Miss Foster says.

"What, like an outer space super nanny?" Donna asks about her job.

"Yes, if you like." Miss Foster agrees with the 'space nanny' job.

"So. So those little things, they're, they're made out of fat, yeah, but that woman, Stacy Campbell, there was nothing left of her." Donna explains about a customer of hers.

"Oh, in a crisis the Adipose can convert bone and hair and internal organs. Makes them a little bit sick, poor things." Miss Foster says.

"Seeding a level five planet is against galactic law." The Doctor warns Miss Foster.

"Are you threatening me?" Miss Foster asks the Doctor about his 'threat'.

"I'm trying to help you, Matron. This is your one chance, because if you don't call this off, then I'll have to stop you." The Doctor explains what he is trying to do.

"I hardly think you can stop bullets." Miss Foster tells him otherwise as the guards take aim.

"No, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. One more thing, before dying. Do you know what happens if you hold two identical sonic devices against each other?" The Doctor asks her about sonic devices.

"No."

"Nor me. Let's find out." The Doctor says as everyone except the Doctor grabs their heads in pain, and glass shatters nearby. Donna pushes his arm to stop him.

"Come on!" Donna says.

"I'm advancing the birth plan. We're going into premature labour." Miss Foster annouces her proceddings in the plan.

 **-!-**

The Doctor, Sophia and Donna run to the Doctor's hiding place. He throws out the ladder and mops.

"Well, that's one solution. Hide in a cupboard. I like it." Donna comments as there is a big green machine behind the sliding back wall.

"I've been hacking into this thing all day, because the matron's got a computer core running through the centre of the building. Triple deadlocked. But now I've got this, I can get into it." The Doctor explains to Donna about what he is doing at the moment. "She's wired up the whole building. We need a bit of privacy."

He then holds to wires together and a forcefield stops the guards in their tracks.

"Just enough to stop them. Why's she wired up the tower block? What's it all for?" The Doctor asks about the tower block.

"Inducer online." The computer in the cupboard says.

"You look older." Donna says.

"Thanks." The Doctor comments.

"Sophia is a different person." Donna complains.

"Yes, I know. Hard for me to understand as much as you are doing now." Sophia explains.

"But without her, are you still on your own?" Donna asks the Doctor.

"Yup. Well, no. I had this friend. Martha she was called. Martha Jones. She was brilliant. And I destroyed half her life. But she's fine, she's good. She's gone." The Doctor explains about Martha and her demise.

"What about Rose?" Donna asks about Rose.

"I thought you were going to travel the world?" Sophia asks about her idea of traveling the world.

"Easier said then done. It's like I had that one day with you, and I was going to change. I was going to do so much. Then I woke up the next morning, same old life. It's like you were never there. And I tried. I did try. I went to Egypt. I was going to go barefoot and everything. And then it's all bus trips and guidebooks and don't drink the water, and two weeks later you're back home. It's nothing like being with you. I must have been mad turning down that offer." Donna explains the displeasure of what she did after leaving the Doctor.

"What offer?" The Doctor asks about the offer that Donna declined.

"To come with you two." Donna says.

"Come with me?" The Doctor asks.

"Oh yes, please." Donna agrees.

"Right." The Doctor says.

"Inducer activated." The computer annouce.

"What's it doing now?" Donna says.

"She's started the programme." The Doctor tells her as the inducer is transmitting. "So far they're just losing weight, but the Matron's gone up to emergency pathogenesis."

"And that's when they convert..." Donna figures out.

"Skeletons, organs, everything. A million people are going to die. Got to cancel the signal." The Doctor says as he dismantles the pendant. "This contains a primary signal. If I can switch it off, the fat goes back to being just fat."

He attaches part of the pendant to the inducer.

"Inducer increasing." The computer says.

"No, no, no, no, no. She's doubled it. I need. Haven't got time. It's too far. I can't override it. They're all gonna die!" The Doctor complains.

"Is there anything I can do?" Donna asks.

"Sorry, Donna, this is way beyond you. Got to double the base pulse, I can't." The Doctor says.

"Doctor, tell me. What do you need?" Donna asks what the Doctor needs.

"I need a second capsule to boost the override, but I've only got the one. I can't save them..." The Doctor says as Donna holds up her pendant. He pulls it apart and plugs it in. The inducer shuts down. There is a loud noise in the sky.

"What the hell was that?" Donna asks what is happening.

The spaceship stops over Adipose Industries, and the babies wave at it.

"Fine. When you say nursery you don't mean a crèche in Notting Hill." Donna says.

"Nursery ship." Sophia corrects Donna as the computer lights up again.

"Incoming signal." The computer annouces the signal, as a voice is heard and is unknown alien.

"Hadn't we better go and stop them?" Donna asks about them stopping the plan.

"Hang on. Instructions from the Adiposian First Family." The Doctor says. "She's wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post. Ooo. Oh. We're not the ones in trouble now. She is!"

 **-!-**

"What you going to do then? Blow them up?" Donna asks what the Doctor is going to do.

"They're just children. They can't help where they come from." Sophia says to Donna.

"Oh, that makes a change from last time. That Martha must've done you good." Donna comments.

"She did, yeah. Yeah. She did. She fancied me." The Doctor says.

"Mad Martha, that one. Blind Martha. Charity Martha. I'm waving at fat." Donna comments more about Martha as she then says about waving at the Adipose.

"Actually, as a diet plan, it sort of works." Sophia says about the plan. "There she is!"

Miss Foster is floating upwards, too, below the little Adipose. She stops at roof level.

"Matron Cofelia, listen to me." The Doctor orders Miss Foster.

"Oh, I don't think so, Doctor. And if I never see you again, it'll be too soon." Miss Foster tells the Doctor.

"Oh, why does no one ever listen. I'm trying to help. Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?" The Doctor asks to move herself from her current location.

"What, so that you can arrest me?" Miss Foster asks if arrest would happen.

"Just listen. I saw the Adiposian instructions. They know it's a crime, breeding on Earth. So what's the one thing they want to get rid of? Their accomplice." The Doctor explains what the plan from the Adiposian instructions are.

"I'm far more than that. I'm nanny to all these children." Miss Foster says.

"Exactly! Mum and Dad have got the kids now. They don't need the nanny anymore." The Doctor concludes as the levitation beam switches off. Miss Foster does a Wile E Coyote double take in mid-air, then falls with a scream and a splat. The spaceship flies away.

 **-!-**

The Doctor throws the sonic pen into a waste bin. Penny comes along, still tied to the chair.

"Oi, you two. You're just mad. Do you hear me? Mad! And I'm going to report you for madness." Penny complains.

"You see, some people just can't take it." Donna says.

"No." The Doctor agrees.

"And some people can. So, then. Tardis! Come on." Donna says.

 **-!-**

"That's my car! That is like destiny. And I've been ready for this." Donna comments as the boot of the car is full of suitcases. "I packed ages ago, just in case. Because I thought, hot weather, cold weather, no weather. He goes anywhere. I've gotta be prepared."

She unloads the boot into the Doctor's arms.

"You've got a, a hatbox." The Doctor comments.

"Planet of the Hats, I'm ready. I don't need injections, do I? You know, like when you go to Cambodia. Is there any of that? Because my friend Veena went to Bahrain, and she. You're not saying much." Donna mummers about her friend.

"No, it's just. It's a funny old life, in the Tardis." The Doctor says.

"You don't want me." Donna tells him.

"I'm not saying that." The Doctor disagrees.

"But you asked me. Would you rather be on your own?" Donna asks about the Doctor about being on his own.

"No. Actually, no. But the last time, with Martha, like I said, it, it got complicated. And that was all my fault. I just want a mate." The Doctor says as he explains what happened to Martha.

"You just want to mate?" Donna asks if the Doctor wants to mate with her.

"I just want a mate!" The Doctor corrects Donna.

"You're not mating with me, sunshine!" Donna annouces to the Doctor.

"A mate. I want a mate." The Doctor corrects Donna again.

"Well, just as well, because I'm not having any of that nonsense. I mean,  
you're just a long streak of nothing. You know, alien nothing." Donna complains as she evalates the Doctor.

"There we are, then. Okay." The Doctor agrees.

"I can come?" Donna asks.

"Yeah. Course you can, yeah. I'd love it." The Doctor agrees.

"Oh, that's just..." Donna says as they almost hug. "Car keys."

"What?" The Doctor asks Donna.

"I've still got my mum's car keys. I won't be a minute." Donna tells him as she runs off. The Doctor starts lugging her bags into the Tardis.

 **-!-**

Later, after Donna has put her mother's car keys in a nearby bin. She returns to the magical blue Tardis.

"Off we go, then." Donna says.

"Here it is. The Tardis. It's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside." Sophia tries to re-introduces the Tardis to Donna.

"Oh, I know that bit. Although frankly, you could turn the heating up." Donna says as she asks for the heating to become up.

"So, whole wide universe, where do you want to go?" The Doctor asks where Donna wants to go.

"Oh, I know exactly the place." Donna says.

"Which is?" The Doctor inquires.

"Two and a half miles that way." Donna gives directions to the Doctor.

 **-!-**

Wilf, Donna's grandfather is packing up for the night when he sees the Tardis flying nearby.

"There! Donna, it's, it's the flying blue box!" Wilf comments as he looks through his telescope and sees Donna waving from the Tardis door. "What? That's Donna. Yeah, that's Donna."

The Doctor and Sophia wave, too.

"And that's him. That's him. Hey, that's him! Ha, ha, ha! Go on, gal! Go on, get up there!" Wilf says.

 **Author's Note:**  
 **I am so sorry for the lateness over this chapter/episode. Busy stuff has occured with work ending last week and I didn't get much free time over that. So, for the next two weeks. See the muddled up more free time schedule. Nothing on Christmas Day/New Years Day because...**  
 **evrything is closed on those days.** **idiot.**

 **See you when Fires of Peter Capaldi come out!**

 **The Imperial Ghost - December 20th, 2015**


	4. Fires of Pompeii

**The Fires of Pompeii**

The Tardis has parked herself in a small curtained-off alcove. The Doctor, Sophia and Donna step out into the sunshine. The streets are lined with vendors of various goods.

"Ancient Rome. Well, not for them, obviously. To all intents and purposes, right now, this is brand new Rome." The Doctor introduces Rome to Donna.

"Oh, my God. it's, it's so Roman. This is fantastic." Donna comments as Sophia laughs. "I'm here, in Rome. Donna Noble in Rome. This is just weird. I mean, everyone here's dead."

"Well, don't tell them that." The Doctor says.

"Hold on a minute. That sign over there's in English." Donna points out as painted on the side of a barrow is two amphorae for the price of one. "Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?"

"No, no, no, no. That's the Tardis translation circuits. Just makes it look like English. Speech as well. You're talking Latin right now. " Sophia teaches her the Tardis translation circuits to Donna.

"Seriously?" Donna inquires. The Doctor and Sophia nods to Sophia. "I just said seriously in Latin."

"Oh, yeah." The Doctor agrees.

"What if I said something in actual Latin, like veni, vidi, vici? My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said veni, vidi, vici to that lot, what would it sound like?" Donna asks about Latin with the translation.

"I'm not sure. You have to think of difficult questions, don't you?" The Doctor tells her.

"I'm going to try it." Donna says as she goes to a fruit seller.

"Afternoon, sweetheart. What can I get you, my love?" A stallholder asks what he can get to Donna.

"Er, veni, vidi, vici." Donna says to the stallholder.

"Huh? Sorry? Me no speak Celtic. No can do, missy." The stallholder tells her.

"Yeah." Donna agrees as she walks away. "How's he mean, Celtic?"

"Welsh. You sound Welsh. There we are. Learnt something." Sophia evaluates as a young woman with a white painted face and wearing a red cloak watches them leave.

"Don't our clothes look a bit odd?" Donna asks about clothes.

"Nah. Ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho, but bigger." The Doctor compares Rome to Soho.

"You've been here before then?" Donna asks if he's been here before.

"Mmm. Ages ago. Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, a little bit. But I haven't got the chance to look around properly. Coliseum, Pantheon, Circus Maximus. You'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything? Try this way." The Doctor describes as the young woman follows them through the streets until they come out into a piazza.

"Not an expert, but there's seven hills of Rome, aren't there? How come they've only got one?" Donna asks about the one big, bare-headed mountain. Then the ground shakes. The vendors hang onto their stalls as pottery falls and breaks. "Wait a minute. One mountain, with smoke. Which makes this..."

"Pompeii. We're in Pompeii. And it's volcano day." The Doctor annouces as he, Sophia and Donna run back to the Tardis, but -.

"You're kidding. You're not telling me the Tardis has gone." Donna says.

"Okay." The Doctor tells Donna.

"Where is it then?" Donna asks where the Tardis is.

"You told him not to tell you." Sophia says.

"Oi. Don't get clever in Latin." Donna complains.

"Hold on a minute." The Doctor tells himself as he goes to the fruit seller from before. "Excuse me. Excuse me. There was a box. Big blue box. Big blue wooden box, just over there. Where's it gone?"

"Sold it, didn't I?" The fruit seller says.

"But it wasn't yours to sell." The Doctor corrects him.

"It was on my patch, weren't it? I got fifteen sesterces for it." The fruit seller tells him otherwise.

"Who'd you sell it to?" The Doctor asks who he sold it to.

"Old Caecilius. Look, if you want to argue, why don't you take it out with him? He's on Foss Street. Big villa. Can't miss it." The fruit seller gives the Doctor directions to Caecillius.

"Thanks." The Doctor says as he leaves and returns. "What'd he buy a big blue wooden box for?"

 **-!-**

The Doctor later runs into Donna.

"Ha. I've got it. Foss Street's this way." The Doctor tells Donna about where Foss Street is.

"No. Well, I found this big sort of amphitheatre thing. We can start there. We can gather everyone together. Maybe they've got a great big bell or something we could ring. Have they invented bells yet?" Donna asks if they can ring a bell.

"What do you want a bell for?" Sophia asks Donna about the bell.

"To warn everyone. Start the evacuation. What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?" Donna asks when Vesuvius erupts.

"It's 79AD, twenty third of August, which makes volcano day tomorrow." The Doctor notes the date to Donna.

"Plenty of time. We could get everyone out easy." Donna says.

"Yeah, except we're not going to." The Doctor disagrees.

"But that's what you do. You're the Doctor. You save people." Donna reminds him about his title.

"Not this time. Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens, happens. There is no stopping it." The Doctor explains about fixed points in time (from _Father's Day._ ) to Donna.

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"What, and you're in charge?" Donna asks who is in charge.

"Tardis, Time Lords, yeah." The Doctor tells her that he is in charge now.

"Donna, human, no. I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself." Donna disagrees with him.

"You stand in the market place announcing the end of the world, they'll just think you're a mad old soothsayer. Now, come on. Tardis. We are getting out of here." The Doctor explains to her.

"Well, I might just have something to say about that, Spaceman." Donna complains to him.

"Oh, I bet you will." The Doctor agrees.

 **-!-**

Another earthquake from the volcano is in full blast, Caecilius and his family are back in positions. The Doctor catches the marble bust first. Donna and Sophia are in watch of him and the family.

"Whoa! There you go." The Doctor says to Caecilius.

"Thank you, kind sir. I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor." Caecilius tells the Doctor.

"But that's me, I'm a visitor. Hello." The Doctor lies to him.

"Who are you?" Caecillius asks the group.

"I am Spartacus." The Doctor names himself to Caecillius.

"I am also." Sophia agrees with the Doctor's stupid name.

"And so am I." Donna also agrees.

"Mister and Mrs Spartacus, and the lady in the middle is your daughter?" Caecillius asks the Doctor and the two other females next.

"Oh no, no, no. We're not, we're not married." The Doctor disagrees.

"We're not together." Donna disagrees.

"Oh, then brother and sisters? Yes, of course. You look very much alike." Caecilius asks if Donna, Sophia and the Doctor are all in the same family.

"Really?" The three of them ask eachother of that question.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trade." Caecilius says to him.

"And that trade would be?" Sophia asks about the trade.

"Marble. Lopus Caecilius. Mining, polishing and design thereof. If you want marble, I'm your man." Caecillius explains his occupation to the Doctor and his two acompliances.

"That's good. That's good, because I'm the marble inspector." The Doctor lies as he flashes his psychic paper.

"By the gods of commerce, an inspection. I'm sorry, sir. I do apologise for my son." Metella says as she pours away Quintus' goblet of wine.

"Oi." Quintus complains.

"And this is my good wife, Metella. I must confess, we're not prepared for a..." Caecillius describes his wife and confesses.

"Nothing to worry about. I'm, I'm sure you've nothing to hide. Although, frankly, that object looks rather like wood to me." The Doctor says as he points on the Tardis.

"I told you to get rid of it." Metella reminds her husband.

"I only bought it today." Caecilius tells himself.

"Ah, well. Caveat emptor." The Doctor comments in Welsh.

"Oh, you're Celtic. There's lovely." Caecillius tells him.

"I'm sure it's fine, but I might have to take it off your hands for a proper inspection." The Doctor says.

"Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the City Government." A servant annouces the vistor of Lucius Dextrus as he is a middle aged man wearing a cloak over the right half of his body enters.

"Lucius. My pleasure, as always." Caecilius comments.

"Quintus, stand up." Metalla orders her son.

"A rare and great honour, sir, for you to come to my house." Caecillius tells Lucius as he holds out his hand, but Lucius does not take it.

"The birds are flying north, and the wind is in the west." Lucius proposes.

"Quite. Absolutely. That's good, is it?" Caecillius inquires.

"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow." Lucius answers him.

"There now, Metella. Have you ever heard such wisdom?" Caecillus asks his wife about the wisdom.

"Never. It's an honour." Metalla agrees.

"Pardon me, sir. I have guests. This is Spartacus, Spartacus and, er, Spartacus." Caecilllus tells Lucius about the Doctor and his two acomplices.

"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind." Lucius explains about the name.

"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark." The Doctor counteracts Lucius.

"Ah. But what is the dark, other than an omen of the sun?" Lucius tries to counteract the Doctor.

"I concede that every sun must set." The Doctor concedes him.

"Ha." Lucius laughs.

"And yet the son of the father must also rise." The Doctor says.

"Damn. Very clever, sir. Evidently, a man of learning." Lucius says.

"Oh, yes. But don't mind me. Don't want to disturb the status quo." The Doctor tells them.

"He's Celtic." Caecilius notes.

"We'll be off in a minute." The Doctor reminds them.

"I'm not going." Donna refuses the Doctor's command.

"It's ready, sir." Caecilius tells Lucius.

"You've got to." Sophia tells her, Donna was okay with Sophia around... not too intruding.

"Well, I'm not." Donna disagress.

"The moment of revelation. And here it is." Caecilius annouces as the Doctor takes Donna and Sophia to the Tardis, he looks back to see a stone tile carved as a circuit board has just been unveiled. "Exactly as you specified. It pleases you, sir?"

"As the rain pleases the soil." Lucius answers to Caecilius.

"Oh, now that's different. Who designed that, then?" The Doctor inquires on who designed the circuit board.

"My Lord Lucius was very specific." Caecillius tells the Doctor.

"Where'd you get the pattern?" The Doctor asks on the pattern.

"On the rain and mist and wind." Lucius says about the pattern.

"But that looks like a circuit." Donna says about the pattern being part of a circuit.

"Made of stone." The Doctor tells her.

"Do you mean you just dreamt that thing up?" Donna inquires on if the pattern was part of a dream that Lucius thought.

"That is my job, as City Augur." Lucius tells her.

"What's that, then, like the mayor?" Donna asks him.

"Oh, ha. You must excuse my friend, she's from Barcelona." Sophia conjures up a excuse for calling him "mayor".

"No, but this is an age of superstition. Of official superstition. The Augur is paid by the city to tell the future. The wind will blow from the west? That's the equivalent of ten o'clock news." The Doctor explains to Donna about City Augur as Evelina enters the room, swaying and pale.

 _"They're laughing at us. Those two, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us."_ Evelina notes.

"No, no, I'm not. I meant no offence." The Doctor apoligizes for any offence given.

"I'm sorry. My daughter's been consuming the vapours." Metella apologizes.

"Oh for gods, Mother. What have you been doing to her?" Quintus asks what has been done to Evelina.

"Not now, Quintus." Caecillus warns his son.

"Yeah, but she's sick. Just look at her." Quintus tells them.

"I gather I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift." Lucius says.

"Oh, she's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood. They say she has remarkable visions." Metalla recalls.

"The prophecies of women are limited and dull. Only the menfolk have the capacity for true perception." Lucius complains.

"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate." Donna comments as a small tremor happens.

"The Mountain God marks your words. I'd be careful, if I were you." Lucius tells her.

"Consuming the vapours, you say?" The Doctor asks about the vapours being consumed.

 _"They give me strength."_

"It doesn't look like it to me." The Doctor disagrees.

 _"Is that your opinion as a doctor?"_ Evelina inquires about the Doctor's opinion.

"I beg your pardon?" The Doctor asks what she has said.

 _"Doctor. That's your name."_ Evelina reveals his name.

"How did you know that?" The Doctor inquires.

 _"And you. You call yourself Noble."_ Evelina reveals about Donna.

"Now then, Evelina. Don't be rude." Metella tells her.

"No, no, no, no. Let her talk." The Doctor ignores Mettella.

 _"You three come from so far away."_ Evelina tells the Doctor.

"The female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries." Lucius says about female soothsayers.

"Oh, not this time, Lucius. No, I reckon you've been out-soothsayed." Sophia tells him otherwise.

 _"Is that so, woman from Gallifrey?"_ Lucius asks her.

"What?" The Doctor asks Lucius.

 _"The strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire, is it not?"_ Lucius asks about the Doctor's home being lost.

"Doctor, what are they doing?" Donna asks the Doctor.

 _"And you, daughter of London."_ Lucius tells Donna.

"How does he know that?" Donna inquires.

 _"This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle tells the truth."_ Lucius explains about the gift.

"That's impossible." Donna doesn't believe this.

 _"Doctor, she is returning."_ Lucius promises.

"Who is? Who's she?" The Doctor inquires.

" _Woman from Gallifrey, two will fall from your other team."_

"That is a lie." Sophia disagrees.

 _"And you, daughter of London. There is something on your back."_

"What's that mean?" Donna inquires.

 _"Even the word Doctor is false. Your real name is hidden. It burns in the stars, in the Cascade of Medusa herself. You are a Lord, sir. A Lord of Time."_ Evelina explains as she faints.

"Evelina!" Metella shouts.

 **-!-**

The Doctor removes the hypocaust grill.

"Different sort of hypocaust?" The Doctor asks.

"Oh, yes. We're very advanced in Pompeii. In Rome, they're still using the old wood-burning furnaces, but we've got hot springs, leading from Vesuvius itself." Caecilius explains about the grills and compares with the one's in Rome.

"Who thought of that?" The Doctor inquires.

"The soothsayers, after the great earthquake, seventeen years ago. An awful lot of damage. But we rebuilt." Caecilius tells them from the earthquake in 62AD.

"Didn't you think of moving away? Oh no, then again, San Francisco." The Doctor tells him about moving to another place.

"That's a new restaurant in Naples, isn't it?" Caecilius inquires about the name of San Francisco over Naples.

"What's that noise?" The Doctor asks.

"Don't know. Happens all the time. They say the gods of the Underworld are stirring." Caecilius answers.

"But after the earthquake, let me guess. Is that when the soothsayers started making sense?" The Doctor inquires about the soothsayers and the earthquake.

"Oh, yes, very much so. I mean, they'd always been, shall we say, imprecise? But then the soothsayers, the augurs, the haruspex, all of them, they saw the truth again and again. It's quite amazing. They can predict crops and rainfall with absolute precision." Caecilius explains the changes of what happened with everything.

"Haven't they said anything about tomorrow?" The Doctor asks about the 23rd of August.

"No. Why, should they? Why do you ask?" Caecilius inquires to ask.

"No, no. No reason. I'm just asking. But the soothsayers, they all consume the vapours, yeah?" The Doctor asks if they consume the vapours.

"That's how they see." Caecilius agrees.

"Ipso facto." The Doctor comments.

"Look you." Caecilius translates.

"They're all consuming this." The Doctor describes what is it his hand.

"Dust." Caecilius says.

"Tiny particles of rock. They're breathing in Vesuvius." The Doctor describes the air as he goes to where Quintus is reclining on a couch, drinking. "Quintus, me old son. This Lucius Petrus Dextrus. Where does he live?"

"It's nothing to do with me." Quintus disapproves of the Doctor.

"Let me try again. This Lucius Petrus Dextrus." The Doctor asks him again as he produces a coin from behind Quintus' ear. "Where does he live?"

 **-!-**

Night has fallen. Quintus holds a burning torch as he leads the Doctor through Pompeii.

"Don't tell my Dad." Quintus asks to tell him on the Doctor jumps up to a window and opens the shutters.

"Only if you don't tell mine." The Doctor asks him as he goes inside then leans out. "Pass me that torch."

 **-!-**

The hypocaust is glowing red with heat. Quintus enters as the Doctor looks around, then takes down a curtain to reveal a wall of different design marble tiles.

"The liar. He told my father it was the only one." Quintus tells the Doctor.

"Well, plenty of marble merchants in this town. Tell them all the same thing, get all the components from different places, so no one can see what you're building." The Doctor explains what the person behind this is really doing.

"Which is what?" Quintus asks.

"The future, Doctor. We are building the future, as dictated by the gods." Lucius promises to the Doctor and Quintus.

The Doctor is rearranging the circuit boards.

"Put this one there. This one there. Er, keep that one upside down, and what you got?" The Doctor tells them.

"Enlighten me." Lucius comments.

"What, the soothsayer doesn't know?" The Doctor inquires to Lucius.

"The seed may float on the breeze in any direction." Lucius tells the Doctor.

"Yeah, I knew you were going to say that. But it's an energy converter." The Doctor explains.

"An energy converter of what?" Lucius asks about what the energy converter is.

"I don't know. Isn't that brilliant? I love not knowing. Keeps me on my toes. It must be awful being a prophet, waking up every morning, is it raining? Yes, it is, I said so. Takes all the fun out of life. But who designed this, Lucius, hmm? Who gave you these instructions?" The Doctor asks who gave Lucius the instructions.

"I think you've babbled enough." Lucius tells the Doctor about his babbiling.

"Lucius, really, tell me. Honestly, I'm on your side. I can help." The Doctor tells him.

"You insult the gods. There can be only one sentence. At arms." Lucius disaproves as the guards draw their short swords.

"Oh, morituri te salutant." The Doctor tells him in Latin.

"Celtic prayers won't help you now." Lucius says.

"But it was him, sir. He made me do it. Mister Dextrus, please don't." Quintus disagrees with being involved with the Doctor.

"Come on now, Quintus, dignity in death. I respect your victory, Lucius. Shake on it? Come on. Dying man's wish?" The Doctor asks to shake Lucius's hand before he grabs at Lucius' right arm beneath the clock and pulls. There is a breaking sound. The Doctor is holding a stone hand and forearm. "Show me."

Lucius throws back the cloak. His entire right side has calcified.

"The work of the gods." Lucius annouces.

"He's stone." Quintus comments.

"Armless enough, though. Whoops." The Doctor says as he throws the arm back to Lucius. "Quintus!"

Quintus throws the torch at a guard as the Doctor sonics the circuit boards, then they make their escape through the window.

 **-!-**

"Run!" The Doctor shouts. "No sign of them. Nice little bit of allons-y. I think we're all right."

"But his arm, Doctor. Is that what's happening to Evelina?" Quintus inquires what is happening.

Rumble. A dog starts barking.

"What was that?" The Doctor inquires.

Rumble.

"The mountain?" Quintus asks the rumbles are rhythmical.

"No, it's closer." The Doctor corrects him as things start falling over as the ground shakes. "Footsteps."

"It can't be." Quintus disagrees.

"Footsteps underground." The Doctor says.

"What is it? What is it?" Quintus asks what is happening before they run again. The grills blow of hypocaust vents as they pass.

 **-!-**

"What is it? What's that noise?" Metella asks what the noise is.

"Doesn't sound like Vesuvius." Caecilius disagrees with it being Vesuvius.

"Caecilius? All of you, get out." The Doctor asks for Caecilius and his family to get out.

"Doctor, what is it?" Donna inquires on what is happening.

"I think we're being followed." The Doctor says as the hypocaust grill flies off. "Just get out!"

They stand and stare as the floor around the hypocaust cracks, and the stone and fire creature appears. As it stands, it nearly touches the ceiling.

 _"The gods are with us."_ Evelina annouces.

"Water. We need water. Quintus. All of you, get water. Donna, Sophia!" The Doctor commands the family to defeat the fire creature as Donna leaves the place.

"Blessed are we to see the gods." The servant, Rombus praises the creature as his god breathes on him, burning him to ash instantly.

"Talk to me. That's all I want. Talk to me. Just tell me you are. Don't hurt these people." The Doctor asks it what it wants. Donna is returning with a bucket of water when the Sisterhood grab her. Evelina sees them. "Talk to me. I'm the Doctor. Just tell me who you are."

Quintus and a slave return with buckets, scoop water from the fish pond and throw it on the creature. Its fire goes out, it solidifies then cracks and crumbles to the floor.

"What was it?" Caecilius asks him.

"Carapace of stone, held together by internal magma. Not too difficult to stop, but I reckon that's just the foot soldier." The Doctor explains.

"Doctor, or whatever your name is, you bring bad luck on this house." Metalla disaproves of the Doctor.

"I thought your son was brilliant. Aren't you going to thank him?" Sophia asks the family.

"Still, if there are aliens at work in Pompeii, it's a good thing we stayed. Donna? Donna? Donna!" The Doctor says to himself as he thanks that they stayed on in Pompeii.

 **A/N - SORRY FOR SKIPPING ALL OF THIS, I DID HAVE A SAVED DOCUMENT OF THE NEXT COUPLE OF SCENES AFTER THE DOCTOR AGREES ON STAYING IN POMPEII (ABOVE). BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED AND ALL OF THAT WAS DELETED.**

 **SO I SAID, I'LL SKIP IT AND NOTHING ELSE NEEDS TO BE THERE.**

 **-!-**

Caecilius and his family are cowering in a corner.

"Gods save us, Doctor." Caecilius says as the Doctor goes to the Tardis.

"No! Doctor, you can't. Doctor!" Donna screeches as the Tardis engines start up and she runs inside.

 **-!-**

"You can't just leave them!" Donna tells him.

"Don't you think I've done enough? History's back in place and everyone dies." The Doctor disagrees.

"You've got to go back. Doctor, Even she is telling you, so... stop being such a old man about it and set it right because it's not fair if you don't." Sophia explains.

"No, it's not." The Doctor agrees.

"But your own planet. It burned." Donna reminds him.

"That's just it. Don't you see, Donna? Can't you understand? If I could go back and save them, then I would. But I can't. I can never go back. I can't. I just can't, I can't." The Doctor calls her out on that.

"Just someone. Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone." Donna tells him.

"Come on, it's for her... and me." Sophia says to him.

 **-!-**

The Tardis rematerialises.

"Come with me." The Doctor tells the family as they grab onto his hand.

 **-!-**

The seven watch as Pompeii is filled with volcanic ash.

"It's never forgotten, Caecilius. Oh, time will pass, men'll move on, and stories will fade. But one day, Pompeii will be found again. In thousands of years. And everyone will remember you." The Doctor explains about Pompeii and the future of it.

"What about you, Evelina? Can you see anything?" Sophia inquires.

"The visions have gone." Evelina senses nothing.

"The explosion was so powerful it cracked open a rift in time, just for a second. That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovillian alternative. But not any more. You're free." The Doctor gives an explaination of the dissaperence of the visions.

"But tell me. Who are you, Doctor? With your words, and your temple containing such size within?" Metella asks who is the Doctor.

"Oh, I was never here. Don't tell anyone." The Doctor says.

"The great god Vulcan must be enraged. It's so volcanic. It's like some sort of volcano. All those people." Caecilius tells the family as he uses the words of volcano as the Doctor, Sophia and Donna slip back into the Tardis.

 **-!-**

"Thank you." Donna says.

"Yeah. You were right. Sometimes I need someone. Welcome aboard." The Doctor says.

"Yeah." Donna agrees as she smiles at Sophia.

 **Author's Note:**  
 **Sorry for the lateness on this, it was basically everything else trying to crowd this story.**

 **So, in the mean time... During my break off here, I found some more reviews on both Wrap Around and Beating. So here we go.**

 _ **Wrap Around Her Hearts**_

 **Carpe Diem Vampire:**  
 **I'm confused. Is her name Sofia? Eva? Or that other one?**

 **Me:**  
 **Sophia. Spelt this way.**

 **Guest:**  
 **Man this has seemed more like Rose/Sofia than Doctor/Sofia or all three man giving me some weird vibes. But it was different than all the other season 2 OC stories so I give it a thumbs up.**

 **Me:**  
 **Friendship. That's what it is really.**

 _ **The Beating of Her Hearts**_

 **Dimas15:**  
 **You're welcome, hope you have a nice day and good luck with everything.**

 **Me:**  
 **You too.**

 **Guest:**  
 **So you still had the Doctor love Rose, but within the next few episodes he's all over your OC. Some things just don't add up huh.**

 **Me:**  
 **Some releationships always never add.**

 **Guest:**  
 **You like forgot to insert your OC towards the end there.**

 **Me:**  
 **You're right there. Time Crash also had the same thing.**

 **The Imperial Phantom Menace - January 21st, 2016.**


	5. Planet of the Ood

**Planet of the Ood**

The Tardis is rocking back and forth in flight. The Doctor stops it.

"Set the controls to random. Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide u... Are you all right?" The Doctor explains and asks her about her comments on her second flight.

"Terrified. I mean, history's one thing but an alien planet?" Donna asks him about history and an alien planet with her trips?

"I could always take you home." The Doctor jokes to her.

"Yeah, don't laugh at me." Donna says.

"Well, Donna. I know what it's like. Everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder? I get that with the Doctor." Sophia tells her.

"Seriously? After all this time?" Donna asks her superior.

"Yeah. Why do you think I keep going?" Sophia agrees.

"Oh. All right then, you two and me both. This is barmy. I was born in Chiswick. I've only ever had package holidays. Now I'm here. This is so. I mean it's. I don't know, it's all sort of. I don't even know what the word is." Donna explains her life and tries to think of the word that she can find to describe her feelings.

 **-!-**

Donna goes outside.

"Oh, I've got the word. Freezing." Donna says.

"Snow! Oh, real snow. Proper snow at last. That's more like it. Lovely. What do you think?" The Doctor comments.

"Bit cold." Donna complains.

"Oh Donna, he's being looking forward to snow for a long time. Every time he's been everywhere. He wants snow. It's beautiful. Like me, he describes." Sophia explains to Donna.

"Look at that view." The Doctor screams as his view is massive icicles hang from bridges of rock over vast ravines.

"Yep. Beautiful, cold view." Donna tries to agree.

"Millions of planets, millions of galaxies, and we're on this one. Molto bene. Bellissimo, says Donna, born in Chiswick. All you've got is a life of work and sleep, and telly and rent and tax and takeaway dinners, all birthdays and Christmases and two weeks holiday a year, and then you end up here. Donna Noble, citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How about that Donna?" The Doctor explains what is the best about coming on a trip with him than on Earth is, But, Donna has disappeared.

"I'm sorry, I was going to tell you. She's gone back inside to get a coat." Sophia gives a answer.

Donna comes out of the Tardis in a big fur coat with a hood.

"Sorry, you were saying?" Donna asks the Doctor.

"Better?" The Doctor inquires to her.

"Lovely, thanks." Donna says.

"Comfy?" Sophia asks her, she hadn't worn that coat at all. It was one of Donna's that she brought when she was allowed onto the Tardis. She regretted never buying herself a coat like that as she was wearing one of the outfits that she was wearing during Martha's tenure on the Tardis.

"Yep." Donna agrees.

"Can you hear anything inside that?" The Doctor asks her for sounds.

"Pardon?" Donna jokes.

"All right, I was saying, citizen of the Earth..." The Doctor tries to repeat his speech as a space rocket glides slowly above them.

"Rocket. Blimey, a real proper rocket. Now that's what I call a spaceship. You've got a box, he's got a Ferrari. Come on, lets go see where he's going." Donna comments about the space rocket being a worse spaceship than the Doctor's.

 **-!-**

A delicate piece of music can be heard as they cross a rock bridge.

"Hold on, can you hear that? Donna, take your hood down." The Doctor asks if anyone can hear the music that he is hearing.

"What?" Donna asks him.

"That noise is like a song." The Doctor describes it.

"I can hear it, it's very delicate but I see something familar... over there." Sophia tells everyone as she spots an Ood lies on the ground, partly covered in snow.

"What is it?" Donna asks about what the alien Ood is.

"An Ood. He's called an Ood." The Doctor tells her.

"But it's face." Donna complains.

"Donna, don't. Not now. It's a he, not an it. Give me a hand." Sophia tells her otherwise

"Sorry." Donna apoligizes.

"I don't know where the heart is. I don't know if he's got a heart. Talk to him, keep him going." The Doctor requests to talk to him as he finds the heart.

"It's all right, we've got you. Er, what's your name?" Donna comforts the Ood and asks what it's name is.

"Designated Ood Delta 50." The Ood explains it's name as Donna speaks into his translator ball.

"My name's Donna." Donna introduces herself to Delta 50.

"No. No, no, no. You don't need to." The Doctor tells her not to talk with the ball.

"Sorry. Oh, God. This is the Doctor. Just what you need, a doctor. Couldn't be better, hey?" Donna tells Delta 50 that he needs a Doctor.

"You've been shot." The Doctor notes.

"The circle." Delta 50 mentions.

"No, don't try to talk." Sophia says to Delta 50.

"The circle must be broken." Delta 50 mentions a full sentence.

"Circle? What do you mean? Delta 50, what circle? Delta 50? What circle?" The Doctor inquires about the mentioned "circle" as Delta 50 sits up with a roar, and red eyes, then exhales and falls back dead.

"He's gone." Donna forgives the Ood.

"Careful." The Doctor says.

"There you are, sweetheart. We were too late. What do we do, do we bury him?" Donna asks if we bury the Ood.

"The snow'll take care of that." Sophia tells her. "Snow buries a lot of things in and out of stuff."

"Who was he? What's an Ood?" Donna inquires about the Ood.

"They're servants of humans in the forty second century. Mildly telepathic. That was the song. It was his mind calling out." The Doctor explains as he touches apon the song.

"I couldn't hear anything. He sang as he was dying." Donna tells him.

"His eyes turned red." The Doctor notes.

"What's that mean?" Donna asks him.

"Trouble. Come on. The Ood are harmless. They're completely benign. Except, the last time I met them, there was this force, like a stronger mind, powerful enough to take them over." The Doctor explains about the Ood's attributes.

"What sort of force?" Donna asks about the force.

"Oh, long story." The Doctor says.

"Long walk." Donna tells him.

"It was the Devil." Sophia starts the story that the Doctor told her after she was stuck in the Tardis.

"If you're going to take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up." Donna says to her.

"Donna, I'm not joking. It was the Devil."

"Must be something different this time, though. Something closer to home. Ah ha! Civilisation." The Doctor tells her otherwise.

 **-!-**

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ood Sphere. And isn't it bracing? Here are your information packs, with vouchers, 3D tickets and a map of the complex. My name's Solana, Head of Marketing. I'm sure we've all spoken on the vidfone. Now, if you'd like to follow me." Solana introduces herself to the tourists and the Doctor and Donna join them.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry. Late. Don't mind us. Hello. The guards let us through." The Doctor says.

"And you would be?" Solana inquires who the Doctor and his company are.

"The Doctor, Sophia and Donna Noble." The Doctor introduces the team.

"Representing the Noble Corporation PLC Limited, Intergalactic." Donna explains the respresentation of the company.

"Must have fallen off my list. My apologies. Won't happen again. Now then, Doctor Noble, Sophie Nobile and Mrs Noble, if you'd like to come with me." Solana apoligizes over the list of people.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. We're not married." The Doctor disaproves of marriage.

"We're so not married." Donna agrees with the Doctor on not being married.

"I'm never being releated to both of them at the same time." Sophia comments.

"Of course. And here are your information packs, vouchers inside. Now if you'd like to come with me, the Executive Suites are nice and warm." Solana explains as an alarm sounds.

"Oh, what's that? That sounds like an alarm." The Doctor comments.

"Must be trouble." Sophia agrees. An alarm always meant trouble for anywhere the Doctor went, this wasn't too far off that idea.

"Oh, it's just a siren for the end of the work shift. Now then, this way, quick as you can." Solana lies to let the buyers into the main place.

 **-!-**

Three Ood are standing on small platforms, whilst others are taking round trays of drinks.

"As you can see, the Ood are happy to serve, and we keep them in facilities of the highest standard. Here at the Double O, that's Ood Operations, we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends." Solana explains about the Ood and the company to the buyers. "We keep the Ood healthy, safe, and educated. We don't just breed the Ood. We make them better. Because at heart, what is an Ood, but a reflection of us? If your Ood is happy, then you'll be happy, too."

She goes to a showcase of three Ood on a stage who are waiting for instructions.

"I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations. We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the standard setting. How are you today, Ood?" Solana provides exposition for the translator ball as she asks the first Ood.

"I'm perfectly well, thank you." The first Ood answers her in an Ood's normal voice.

"Or perhaps after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen. And how are you, Ood?" Solana asks the second Ood.

"All the better for seeing you." It responds with a different voice, female.

"And the comedy classic option. Ood, you dropped something." Solana tells the third and final Ood in the line.

"D'oh." The last Ood responds with a video recording of the character of Homer Simpson.

"All that for only five additional credits. The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so don't hold back." Solana explains all the infomation to the tourists as she then leaves. The Doctor goes to her lectern and uses its computer access to light up the big screen.

"Ah, got it. The Ood Sphere, I've been to this solar system before. Years ago. Ages. Close to the planet Sense Sphere. Let's widen out. The year 4126. That is the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire." The Doctor describes the constellation of the solar system and the year.

"4126? It's 4126. I'm in 4126." Donna asks about the year as she relieves about it.

"It's good, isn't it?" Sophia asks her. 4126 was the furthest she had ever been apart from New Earth which was past 4100 and into 5, 000, 053 when they sided with a dead Face of Boe that she had only met in the hospital she was awoken and saved from.

"What's the Earth like now?" Donna asks about the Earth.

"Bit full. But you see, the Empire stretches out across three galaxies." The Doctor explains about the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire.

"It's weird. I mean, it's brilliant, but. Back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live. Global warming, flooding, all the bees disappearing." Donna reminds him about the current state of the Earth.

"Yeah. That thing about the bees is odd." The Doctor comments.

"But look at us. We're everywhere. Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers? Or more like a virus?" Donna asks about the team being explorers of a kind and the bees being a virus.

"Sometimes I wonder." Sophia says.

"What are the red dots?" Donna asks about the dots on the screen.

"Ood distribution centres." The Doctor tells her.

"Across three galaxies? Don't the Ood get a say in this?" Donna inquires about the Ood's speak in the distribution centres as she goes to an Ood.

"Er, sorry, but." Donna tries to ask an Ood as Donna gently touches his arm and he turns to look at her.

"Hello. Tell me, are you all like this?" Donna asks the Ood.

"I do not understand, Miss." The Ood tells her.

"Why do you say Miss? Do I look single?" Donna asks the Ood if she is actually single to it.

"Back to the point." The Doctor reminds her.

"Yeah. What I mean is, are there any free Ood? Are there Ood running wild somewhere, like wildebeest." Donna asks about free Ood.

"All Ood are born to serve. Otherwise, we would die." The Ood explains.

"But you can't have started like that. Before the humans, what were you like?" Donna asks what happened before they became servants to the humans.

"The circle." The Ood mentions.

"What do you mean? What circle?" The Doctor asks about a circle.

"The circle. The circle is..." The Ood continues to mention.

"Ladies and gentlemen. All Ood to hospitality stations, please." Solana asks the Ood.

"I've had enough of the schmoozing. Do you fancy going off the beaten track?" The Doctor asks if anyone wants to go off the map as he holds a map of the complex.

"Now, if I can introduce you..." Solana says.

"Rough guide to the Ood Sphere? Works for me." Donna asks for the other side to the Ood Sphere before agreeing to it.

"Yeah." The Doctor agrees as he, Sophia and Donna leave the presentation area.

 **-!-**

The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver on a gate in the wire mesh fencing.

"Ood shift eight now commencing. Repeat. Ood shift eight now commencing." A tannoy annouces the next shift as The Doctor, Sophia and Donna watch the Ood marching through in double file from an upper catwalk. One at the back falls down.

"Get up. I said get up." Kess, the master at the whip annouces to the Ood as he cracks a whip.

"Servants? They're slaves." Donna asks about the Ood being servants or slaves.

"Get up! March." Kess orders the Ood.

"Last time I met the Ood, I never thought. I never asked." The Doctor tells her.

"That's not like you." Donna disagrees without what he has told her.

"I was busy. So busy I couldn't save them. I had to let the Ood die. I reckon I owe them one." The Doctor explains what happened last time and how he could never let them die.

"That looks like the boss." Sophia points out.

"Let's keep out of his way. Come on." The Doctor tells her.

 **-!-**

Donna stops by a door as the Doctor and Sophia walk on. She puts two fingers into her mouth and blows.

"Where'd you learn to whistle?" Sophia inquires about her whistling.

"West Ham, every Saturday." Donna says as the Doctor unlocks the door.

 **-!-**

The Ood cargo is full of shipping containers.

"Ood export. You see? Lifts up the containers, takes them to the rocket sheds, ready to be flown out all over the three galaxies." The Doctor explains the export business.

"What, you mean, these containers are full of?" Donna asks about the containers.

"What do you think?" Sophia asks her.

 **-!-**

The Ood are standing silently.

"Oh, it stinks. How many of them do you think there are in each one?" Donna asks about the Ood.

"Hundred? More?" The Doctor inquires about the amount of Ood.

"A great big empire built on slavery." Donna comments.

"It's not so different from your time." The Doctor says.

"Oi. I haven't got slaves." Donna tells him.

"Who do you think made your clothes?" The Doctor asks her about who made the clothes she wears.

"Is that why you travel round with a human at your side? It's not so you can show them the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots?" Donna asks why he takes a human by a side.

"Sorry." The Doctor and Sophia apoligize to her.

"I don't understand, the door is open, why don't you just run away?" Donna asks the Ood.

"For what reason?" The Ood inquire about the reason to run away.

"You could be free." Donna says.

"I do not understand the concept." The Ood says about the understanding.

"What is it with that Persil ball? I mean, they're not born with it, are they? Why do they have to be all plugged in?" Donna asks about the communcation ball.

"Ood, tell me. Does the circle mean anything to you?" Sophia asks about the circle that they have mentioned before.

 _"The circle must be broken."_

"Oh, that is creepy." Donna comments.

"Certainly." Sophia says.

"But what is it? What is the circle?" The Doctor asks about the circle.

 _"The circle must be broken."_

"Why?" The Doctor inquires about why the circle should be broken.

 _"So that we can sing."_

Kess sets off an alarm.

"Oh, that's us. Come on." The Doctor says as they start running, a few minutes later ~ Donna stops running.

"Doctor, there's a door." Donna tells him as the door opens and guards enter and on Sophia as well.

"Don't move!" A guard commands as the Doctor is further away.

"Where've you gone?" The Doctor inquires where she is.

"Stay where you are." The guard says.

"Keep them in there for now." Kess tells the guards.

"Get off me. Get off me!" Donna shouts as she and Sophia are locked in a container with Ood.

"Donna? Sophia? Where are you?" The Doctor asks about where his two companions.

"All guards withdraw." Kess orders all the guards. "Keep to the perimeter. I've got this one. I've always wanted to do this."

Kess actives the claw that moves the containers, and chases the Doctor with it.

"Container locked." Kess annouces to everyone.

 **-!-**

"Can you help me?" Donna asks the Ood.

"I don't think they hear you correctly, Donna." Sophia says as the Ood in the container now have red eyes.

"Oh, no, you don't. What have I done? I'm not one of that lot. I'm on your side. Stay where you are. That's an order. I said, stay. Doctor? Doctor!" Donna asks and orders the red-eyed Ood.

 **-!-**

Kess knocks the Doctor down with the claw, then sends it down towards him. Suddenly, it stops. Solana takes the key from the controls.

"You heard the instructions. Mister Halpen wants them alive." Solana reminds Kess of the instructions given to him.

 **-!-**

"Doctor, get us out!" Donna commands for help.

 **-!-**

Two guards are marching the Doctor away.

"Doctor, get us out of here." Donna asks again.

"If you don't do what she says, you're really in trouble. Not from me, from them two." The Doctor says as he tells Kess.

"Unlock the container." Kess orders his guard acomplices as Donna runs out.

"There we go, safe and sound." The Doctor comments.

"Never mind about me. What about them?" Donna asks about the Ood as they kill the guard by the container door.

"Red alert. Fire!" Kess orders when Ood come out of other containers. "Shoot to kill."

While the guards fire their guns, the Doctor, Sophia, Donna and Solana run outside.

 **-!-**

"If people back on Earth knew what was going on here." Donna mentions.

"Oh, don't be so stupid. Of course they know." Solana tells her.

"They know how you treat the Ood?" Sophia inquires.

"They don't ask. Same thing." Solana says.

"Solana, the Ood aren't born like this. They can't be. A species born to serve could never evolve in the first place. What does the company do to make them obey?" The Doctor asks why the company wants them to obey.

"That's nothing to do with me." Solana disagrees.

"Oh, what, because you don't ask?" The Doctor inquires.

"That's Doctor Ryder's territory." Solana tells the Doctor.

"Where's he? What part of the complex? I could help with the red eye. Now show me." The Doctor asks where the main source of the red eye began.

"There. Beyond the red section." Solana says.

"Come with me. You've seen the warehouse. You can't agree with all this. You know this place better than me. You could help." The Doctor explains about her going to see the warehouse.

"They're over here! Guards! They're over here." Solana says as the Doctor, Sophia and Donna run off.

"Male and two female suspects escaped. West ridge corridor." A guard notes the location of the suspects.

"Mister Halpen, I found the Doctor. He's heading for Ood Conversion." Solana tells Mr Halpen.

 **-!-**

"This way." The Doctor tells them as they arrive at a door. "Oh, can you hear it? I didn't need the map. I should have listened."

 **-!-**

The Doctor sonics the door lock.

"Hold on. Does that mean we're locked in?" Donna inquires if the Doctor and her are locked inside.

"Donna, yes. We are." Sophia answers to Donna's question.

"Listen. Listen, listen, listen, listen." The Doctor tells them as he hears the ethereal music again. "Oh, my head."

"What is it?" Donna inquires.

"Can't you hear it? The singing?" The Doctor asks about the singing he's being hearing in his head as groups of Ood are sitting in cages. They turn away from the Doctor and Donna.

"They look different to the others." Donna says.

"That's because they're natural born Ood, unprocessed, before they're adapted to slavery. Unspoilt. That's their song." The Doctor tells her.

"I can't hear it." Donna complains.

"Do you want to?" Sophia inquires. "I can hear it too, it's not different."

"Yeah." Donna says.

"It's the song of captivity." Sophia describes the song.

"Let me hear it." Donna tells her.

"Face me then." Sophia says as she makes a mind meld with Donna. "Open your mind. That's it. Hear it, Donna. Hear the music."

The song is sad and beautiful. Donna cries at the moment of hearing it.

"Take it away." Donna requests.

"Sure? Once I've made this. You can't let this go." Sophia says.

"I can't bear it." Donna tells her as Sophia disconnects her from the telepathic field. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." The Doctor comments.

"But you two can still hear it." Donna tells him.

"All the time." Sophia agrees. "It's a curse of the Time Lords."

The Doctor sonics open the cage.

"They're breaking in." Donna reminds the Doctor.

"Ah, let them." The Doctor says as the Ood cower in the corner. "What are you holding? Show me. Friend. Doctor, Sophia, Donna. Friend. Let me see. Look at me. Let me see. That's it. That's it, go on. Go on."

The Ood opens his hands. He is holding a small brain.

"Is that?" Donna asks.

"It's a brain. A hind brain. The Ood are born with a secondary brain. Like the amygdala in humans, it processes memory and emotions. You get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna any more. You'd be like an Ood. A processed Ood." The Doctor explains the brains.

"So the company cuts off their brains?" Donna asks.

"And they stitch on the translator." The Doctor says.

"Like a lobotomy. I spent all that time looking for you two, Doctor, because I thought it was so wonderful out here. I want to go home." Donna explains before a crash happens.

"They're with the Ood, sir." A guard notes as the Doctor locks himself, Sophia and Donna in with the Ood.

"What you going to do, then? Arrest me? Lock me up? Throw me in a cage? Well, you're too late. Ha!" The Doctor asks on what the guards are to do with him and his companions.

 **-!-**

The Doctor and companions are handcuffed to some pipes.

"Why don't you just come out and say it? FOTO activists." Mr Halpen asks why they didn't reveal being Friends of the Ood.

"If that's what Friends Of The Ood are trying to prove, then yes." The Doctor agrees with FOTO.

"The Ood were nothing without us, just animals roaming around on the ice." Mr Halpen blames the Ood for being roaming with freedom.

"That's because you can't hear them. Listen for once in a while." Sophia tells him.

"They welcomed it. It's not as if they put up a fight." Mr Halpen says.

"You idiot. They're born with their brains in their hands. Don't you see, that makes them peaceful. They've got to be, because a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets." Donna explains to Mr Halpen.

"Oh, nice one." The Doctor comments.

"Thank you." Donna says.

"The system's worked for two hundred years. All we've got is a rogue batch. But the infection is about to be sterilised. Mister Kess. How do we stand?" Mr Hapen explains that it's been 200 years.

 _"Canisters primed, sir. As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. Give it two hundred marks and counting."_ Kess explains to Mr Halpen.

"You're going to gas them?" The Doctor asks about the gas solution.

"Kill the livestock. The classic foot and mouth solution from the olden days. Still works." Mr Hapen tells him about the classic solution still working as in different places, Ood both unconverted and red eyed form circles and sing.

 **-!-**

The countdown passes 51 on the canister, Ood enter.

The Ood then have freed their comrades and locked Kess in a cage. The countdown reaches 1.

"Come back. Let me out of here." Kess says as the gas is set off.

 **-!-**

"Change of plan." Mr Halpen says to the Doctor.

"What's happening?" The Doctor inquires on what has happened.

"Everything you wanted, Doctor. No doubt there'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilised, so I can't risk a bullet to the head. I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood." Mr Halpen explains this is what the Doctor wanted.

"But Mister Halpen, there's something else, isn't there? Something we haven't seen." The Doctor says.

"What do you mean?" Donna inquires.

"A creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hind brain, they'd be at war with themselves. There's got to be something else, a third element, am I right?" The Doctor continues to explain.

"And again, so clever." Mr Halpen comments.

"But it's got to be connected to the red eye. What is it?" The Doctor asks if it is connected towards the red eye.

"It won't exist for very much longer. Enjoy your Ood." Mr Halpen says as the Doctor and Donna are left alone.

"Come on." The Doctor tells them.

"Well, do something. You're the one with all the tricks. You must have met Houdini." Donna says.

"These are really good handcuffs." The Doctor comments.

"Oh well, I'm glad of that. I mean, at least we've got quality." Donna says as three Ood enter.

"Here's our V.I.P's." Sophia says.

"Doctor, Donna, Sophia, friends." The Doctor names everyone as friends.

"The circle must be broken." Donna says.

"Sophia, Donna, Doctor, friends." Sophia names everyone from repeating the list.

"The circle must be broken." Donna says again.

"Doctor, Donna, Sophia, friends."

"The circle must be broken." Donna repeats.

"Friends, friends, friends." The Doctor mentions.

"The circle must be broken." Donna says as they continue to repeat themselves while the unconverted Ood connect with the others and share their knowledge of the Doctor and Donna.

"Doctor. Donna. Sophia. Friends." The Ood confirm.

"Yes. That's us. Friends. Oh, yes." The Doctor, Sophia and Donna agree.

 **-!-**

An Ood attacks Halpen and Ryder's escort.

"No, leave him." Mr Halper says.

Elsewhere...

"I don't know where it is. I don't know where they've gone." The Doctor says.

"What are we looking for?" Donna inquires.

"It might be underground, like some sort of cave, or a cavern, or..." The Doctor describes what they are looking for as Halpen unlocks a door.

"Warehouse Fifteen door open." The computer annouces as the Doctor, Sophia and Donna are knocked down by an explosion.

"All right?" The Doctor asks as the smoke clears, Sigma is standing behind them.

 **-!-**

"It's always been an option. My grandfather drew up this plan. That's the advantage of a family run business, Doctor Ryder. The personal touch." Mr Halpen explains his plan.

"But we should evacuate. If we can get to the rocket sheds, we can..." Doctor Ryder says.

"No need. We've got this. Detonation packs. Place them around the circumference. We're going to blow it up. This thing dies, so do the Ood." Mr Halpen tells him otherwise as they place the devices on the catwalk around the mysterious something we haven't seen yet. Meanwhile, the Doctor sonics the door controls and they get in. He looks down.

"The Ood Brain. Now it all makes sense, That's the missing link. The third element, binding them together. Forebrain, hind brain, and this, the telepathic centre. It's a shared mind, connecting all the Ood in song." The Doctor explains about the brain of the Ood.

"Cargo. I can always go into cargo. I've got the rockets, I've got the sheds. Smaller business. Much more manageable, without livestock." Mr Halpen says all the possiblities.

"He's mined the area." Doctor Ryder says.

"You're going to kill it?" Donna inquires.

"They found that thing centuries ago beneath the Northern Glacier." Mr Halpen says.

"Those pylons." Sophia notes.

"In a circle. The circle must be broken." Donna tells them.

"Damping the telepathic field. Stopping the Ood from connecting for two hundred years." The Doctor explains.

"And you, Ood Sigma, you brought them here. I expected better." Mr Halpen says.

"My place is at your side, sir." Ood Sigma tells Mr Halpen.

"Still subservient. Good Ood." Mr Halpen comments to Ood Sigma.

"If that barrier thing's in place, how come the Ood started breaking out?" Donna inquires when the Ood broke out.

"Maybe it's taken centuries to adapt. The subconscious reaching out?" The Doctor asks about when it has adapted.

"But the process was too slow. It had to be accelerated. You should never give me access to the controls, Mister Halpen. I lowered the barrier to its minimum. Friends Of The Ood, sir. It's taken me ten years to infiltrate the company, and I succeeded." Doctor Ryder explains about his job and him being part of FOTO and ten infiltrate the company.

"Yes. Yes, you did." Mr Halpen agrees as he throws Ryder over the catwalk railing and onto the giant brain, which absorbs him.

"You murdered him." Donna says.

"Very observant, Ginger. Now, then. Can't say I've ever shot anyone before. Can't say I'm going to like it. But er, it's not exactly a normal day, is it?" Mr Halpen notes that he hasn't shot anyone before.

"Would you like a drink, sir?" Ood Sigma asks Mr Halpen.

"I think hair loss is the least of my problems right now, thanks." Mr Halpen tells Sigma as the Ood stands in front of the Doctor.

"Please have a drink, sir." Ood Sigma akss him.

"If, if you're going to stand in their way, I'll shoot you too." Mr Halpen says to him.

"Please have a drink, sir." Ood Sigma repeats his inquirery.

"Have, have you poisoned me?" Mr Halpen asks if Ood Sigma is poisoned him.

"Natural Ood must never kill, sir." Ood Sigma says.

"What is that stuff?" The Doctor inquires what the ingredients of the drink is.

"Ood graft suspended in a biological compound, sir." Ood Sigma explains.

"What the hell does that mean?" Mr Halpen asks about the graft suspening into a biological compound.

"Ha ha! Thank you - Ood Sigma!" Sophia comments.

"Tell me!" Mr Halpen commands her to explain.

"Funny thing, the subconscious. Takes all sorts of shapes. Came out in the red eye as revenge, came out in the rabid Ood as anger, and then there was patience. All that intelligence and mercy, focused on Ood Sigma. How's the hair loss, Mister Halpen?" The Doctor explains the exact ingredient as more hair comes away in Halpen's hand.

"What have you done?" Mr Halpen asks the Ood.

"Oh, they've been preparing you for a very long time. And now you're standing next to the Ood Brain, Mister Halpen, can you hear it? Listen." The Doctor tells him.

"What have you? I'm not." Mr Halpen says that he is not part of the Ood as his face goes blank. He drops his gun, reaches for his head and peels the skin off. Then tentacles come out of his mouth. Halpen sneezes and a small hind brain flops into his hands.

"He has become Oodkind, and we will take care of him." Ood Sigma says.

"It's weird, being with you. I can't tell what's right and what's wrong any more." Donna says to the Doctor.

"It's better that way. People who know for certain tend to be like Mister Halpen." Sophia says.

A bomb goes beep beep.

"Oh!" The Doctor says as he deactivates the explosives. "That's better. And now, Sigma, would you allow me the honour?"

"It is yours, Doctor." Ood Sigma agrees with the honour allowance.

"Oh, yes! Stifled for two hundred years, but not any more. The circle is broken. The Ood can sing." The Doctor explains as the current around the Brain is shut off and the song starts up, slow but happy.

"I can hear it!" Donna shouts as the fighting stops. The Ood raise their palms to the sky and join in.

 **-!-**

"The message has gone out. That song resonated across the galaxies. Everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back. The Ood are coming home." The Doctor explains.

"We thank you, Doctor, Sophia, Donna, friends of Oodkind And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you." Ood Sigma asks about the three to stay.

"Oh, I've, I've sort of got a song of my own, thanks." The Doctor agrees.

"I think your song must end soon." Ood Sigma explains to him.

"Meaning?" The Doctor asks him.

"Every song must end." Ood Sigma says.

"Yeah. Er, what about you? You still want to go home?" Sophia asks Donna.

"No. Definitely not." Donna disagrees.

"Then we'll be off." The Doctor says.

"Take this song with you." Ood Sigma tells him.

"We will." Sophia promises.

"Always." The Doctor agrees.

"And know this, Doctor, Sophia and Donna. You will never be forgotten. Our children will sing of the Doctor Sophia Donna, and our children's children, and the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your names forever." Ood Sigma explains what will happen to the legends of the three travellers.

The Doctor, Sophia and Donna go into the Tardis, and it dematerialises.

 **Author's Note:**  
 **I'm mega sorry about this chapter not going up straight after Fires of Pompeii. I'll give you the list of things.**

 **1\. The Ten Seconds of Rosen 3 fiasco that I had over the beginning of January (which we finally did get it sorted out.)**

 **2\. YTP Collab Entries: I had Peppa Pig, Cool Cat, Spadinner. The last two I had to do in a fast pace of time because I did them so near the deadline date!**

 **3\. The Nerd From Hell: Doing both the scripts for** _ **Into The Trap**_ **and** _ **Time of The Dead**_ **were tiring, I even had to do some acting for the second episode! It took me a whole hour to do 5 minutes worth of footage because I kept f***ing it up!**

 **4\. Basket Sponge Series 3: I had to finish the whole season for the beginning of 2016. That was tiring in itself, espically the finale of** _ **The End Of Time**_ **!**

 **5\. Blades of Ginger Love. Just because my friend wanted me to do it.**

 **The Imperial Phantom Menace - Febuary 3rd, 2016**

 **P.S - The Sontaran Stratagem will be coming! Not this week, the next!**


	6. The Sontaran Stratagem

**The Sontaran Stratagem**

In the Tardis, Donna is taking control of the Tardis as the Doctor and Sophia watching apon her. By now, Donna has earned their friendship.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Donna comments, she had never flown the Tardis. Being in it in her wedding dress on her wedding day? Oh yes.

"No, neither can I. Oh, careful." The Doctor says as he hits the console with a hammer and pulls a lever, then lets Donna take control again. "Left hand down. Left hand down! Getting a bit too close to the 1980s."

"What am I going to do, put a dent in them?" Donna inquires on what she could do to the 1980's.

"Well, someone did." Sophia says as a telephone rings. It's not hers, or the Doctor's. Sophia would never get one because she thought it would be a nuisance if she had one.

"Hold on. That's a phone." Donna tells about the phone as the Doctor takes a mobile phone from a socket in the console. "You've got a mobile? Since when?"

"It's not mine." The Doctor disagrees with him owning the phone as he answers to it. "Hello?"

 _"Doctor? It's Martha, and I'm bringing you back to Earth."_

 **-!-**

The Tardis materialises in an alleyway behind Martha, and the Doctor and Sophia step out.

"Martha Jones." The Doctor introduces his past companion.

"Doctor." Martha says as she and the Doctor hug.

"You haven't changed a bit." The Doctor comments. It was correct for them both.

"Neither have you." Martha agrees on his comment, Donna then comes out of the Tardis.

"What about you?" The Doctor inquires.

"Right. Should have known. Didn't take you long to replace me, then." Martha complains. Although she was the second replacement. After Rose and Sophia.

"Now, don't start fighting. Martha, Donna. Donna, Martha. Please don't fight. Can't bear fighting." The Doctor warns them not to fight just after being introduced to each other.

"Yes you can." Sophia disagrees with him, he gave her a sturn look.

"You wish." Donna agrees with Sophia as the women shake hands with each other. "I've heard all about you. He talks about you all the time."

"I dread to think." Martha says.

"No, no, no. No, ne says nice things. Good things. Nice things. Really good things." Donna disagrees with being told that Martha is rubbish. Sophia agrees.

"Oh my God. He's told you everything." Martha reliases.

"Didn't take long to get over it though. Who's the lucky man?" Donna inquires who the man she is engaged too.

"What man? Lucky what?" The Doctor asks her. He was not listening.

"She's engaged, you prawn." Donna says.

"Really? Who to?" The Doctor inquires.

"Tom. That Tom Milligan. He's in pediatrics. Working out in Africa right now. And yes, I know, I've got a doctor who disappears off to distant places. Tell me about it." Martha describes her engaged boyfriend.

"Is he skinny?" Donna asks.

"No, he's sort of strong." Martha disagrees.

"He is too skinny for words. You give him a hug, you get a paper cut." Donna complains, describing the Doctor as a skinny man with paper cut hugs. Sophia just burst out laughing at that.

"Oh, I'd rather you were fighting." The Doctor says.

"Speaking of which." Martha says.

"Doctor Jones, report to base, please. Over."

Martha answers her walkie-talkie.

"This is Doctor Jones. Operation Blue Sky is go, go, go. I repeat, this is a go." Martha orders for the opertion to start.

A convoy of jeeps, trucks and a squad of the Parachute Regiment go past.

"Unified Intelligence Taskforce. Raise that barrier, now!" A soldier explains as a car with Army top brass goes past, and they all go to the ATMOS factory. "Leave those safeties on, lads. They're non-hostiles."

"All workers, lay down your tools and surrender."

"Greyhound Six to Trap One. B Section, go, go, go. Search the ground floor. Grid pattern delta." Martha says.

"What are you searching for?" The Doctor asks.

"Illegal aliens." Martha tells him.

"At least you're not on the list, Doctor." Sophia jokes.

"No, there's something else here, I don't think UNIT's looking to do this just for me." The Doctor answers.

 **"This is a UNIT operation. All workers lay down your tools and surrender immediately."**

"B section mobilised. E section, F section, on my command." Martha commands, she then runs off to join the troops under her command.

"Is that what you did to her? Turned her into a soldier?" Donna inquires on his fault for her changing it.

"Donna, at least it hasn't happened to you." Sophia says.

 **-!-**

"And you're qualified now. You're a proper doctor." The Doctor comments.

"UNIT rushed it through ,given my experience in the field. Here we go. We're establishing a field base on site. They're dying to meet you." Martha explains.

"Wish I could say the same." The Doctor tries to agree as they get into the back of a pantechnicon truck.

 **-!-**

"Operation Blue Sky complete, sir. Thanks for letting me take the lead. And, this is the Doctor. Doctor, Colonel Mace." Martha explains as he tells him that the Doctor is.

"Sir." Colonel Mace says as he salutes to the Doctor.

"Oh, don't salute." The Doctor dismisses Colonel Mace.

"But it's an honour, sir. I've read all the files on you. Technically speaking, you're still on staff. You never resigned." Colonel Mace expresses his comments as he then tells him he never left.

"What, you used to work for them?" Donna asks the Doctor about his work with UNIT.

"Yeah, long time ago. Back in the 70's. Or was it the 80's? But it was all a bit more homespun back then." The Doctor explains his work experinced with UNIT.

"Times have changed, sir." Colonel Mace comments.

"Yeah, that's enough of the sir." The Doctor reminds him.

"Come on, though, Doctor. You've seen it. You've been on board the Valiant. We've got massive funding from the United Nations, all in the name of Home World Security." Martha explains to him.

"A modern UNIT for the modern world." Colonel Mace promises him.

"What, and that means arresting ordinary factory workers, in the streets, in broad daylight? It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there. Donna, by the way. Donna Noble, since you didn't ask. I'll have a salute." Donna explains that a modern UNIT likes to arrest people in the broad daylight for alien infltration as Colonel Mace looks at the Doctor and Sophia, whom the Doctor gives a sort of nod.

"Ma'am." Colonel Mace allows a salute to Donna.

"Thank you." Donna says.

"Tell me, what's going on in that factory?" The Doctor inquires what has been on with the factory.

"Yesterday, fifty two people died in identical circumstances, right across the world, in eleven different time zones. Five a.m. in the UK, six a.m. in France, eight a.m. in Moscow, one p.m. in China." Colonel Mace expresses his infomation for the deaths.

"You mean that they died simultaneously at our time." Sophia says, if it was 5pm GMT.

"Exactly. Fifty two deaths at the exact same moment, worldwide." Colonel Mace states the fact.

"How did they die?" The Doctor inquires.

"They were all inside their cars." Colonel Mace tells him.

"They were poisoned. I checked the biopsies. No toxins. Whatever it is, left the system immediately." Martha explains the diagonistics.

"What have the cars got in common?" The Doctor asks.

"Completely different makes. They're all fitted with ATMOS, and that is the ATMOS factory." Colonel Mace tells him.

"What's ATMOS?" The Doctor says.

"Oh, come on. Even I know that. Everyone's got ATMOS." Donna tells him.

"Must be the thing with a GPS system." Sophia comments.

 **-!-**

"Stands for Atmospheric Omission System. Fit ATMOS in your car, it reduces CO2 emissions to zero." Martha explains.

"Zero? No carbon, none at all?" The Doctor asks him.

"And you get sat-nav and twenty quid in shopping vouchers if you introduce a friend. Bargain. " Donna tells them about the reality for the GPS system.

"Yes, sounds like a bargain." Sophia says to her.

"And this is where they make it, Doctor. Shipping worldwide. Seventeen factories across the globe, but this is the central depot, sending ATMOS to every country on Earth." Colonel Mace explains the distrubution of the system.

"And you think ATMOS is alien." The Doctpr says.

"It's our job to investigate that possibility. Doctor?" Colonel Mace says as the paratroopers are still rounding up workers as Mace leads them through a plastic strip curtain.

 **-!-**

An ATMOS device is placed on a table.

"And here it is, laid bare. ATMOS can be threaded through any and every make of car." Colonel Mace says what ATMOS has done to the car.

"You must've checked it, before it went on sale." Sophia tells them.

"We did. We found nothing. That's why I thought we needed an expert." Martha answers.

"Really. who'd you get?" The Doctor asks as he looks at them. "Oh, right. Me, yes. Good."

Martha and Mace leave.

"Okay. So why would aliens be so keen on cleaning up our atmosphere?" Donna asks.

"A very good question. It's usually the opposite of that." Sophia notes.

"Maybe they want to help. Get rid of pollution and stuff." Donna wonders.

"Do you know how many cars there are on planet Earth? Eight hundred million. Imagine that. If you could control them, you'd have eight hundred million weapons." The Doctor explains that the cars could become weapons if controlled correctly with ATMOS.

 **-!-**

The Doctor is looking at ATMOS's components.

"Ionising nano-membrane carbon dioxide converter. Which means that ATMOS works. Filters the CO2 at a molecular level." The Doctor explains the ATMOS system.

"We know all that, but what's its origin? Is it alien?" Colonel Mace inquires if ATMOS is alien.

"No. Decades ahead of its time. Look, do you mind? Could you stand back a bit?" The Doctor comments as he requests to Colonel Mace.

"Sorry, have I done something wrong?" Colonel Mace asks him.

"You're carrying a gun. I don't like people with guns hanging around me, all right?" The Doctor reminds him.

"Sorry, sir. He really gets paranoid with weaponised means." Sophia explains.

"If you insist."

He leaves.

"Tetchy." Martha comments.

"Well, it's true." The Doctor disagrees.

"He's a good man." Martha reminds the Doctor.

"People with guns are usually the enemy in my books." The Doctor tells her.

"You seem quite at home." Sophia says.

"If anyone got me used to fighting, it's you, Doctor." Martha says.

"Oh right, so it's my fault." The Doctor tells her.

"Well, you got me the job. Besides, look at me. Am I carrying a gun?" Martha asks if she is carrying a gun for UNIT.

"Suppose not." The Doctor agrees.

"It's all right for you. You can just come and go, but some of us have got to stay behind. So I've got to work from the inside, and by staying inside, maybe I stand a chance of making them better." Martha explains as Sophia leaves out of boredom.

"Yeah? That's more like Martha Jones." The Doctor comments.

"I learned from the best." Martha tells him.

"Well." The Doctor tries to agree as Donna enters the room.

"Oi, you lot. All your storm troopers and your sonics. You're rubbish. Should've come with me." Donna says to them.

"Why, where have you been?" The Doctor asks her.

"Personnel. That's where the weird stuff's happening, in the paperwork. Because I spent years working as a temp, I can find my way round an office blindfold, and the first thing I noticed is an empty file." Donna explains what she has been looking at.

"What isn't inside the file then?" Sophia inquires.

"Sick days. There aren't any. Hundreds of people working here and no one's sick. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trip, nothing. Not ever. They don't get ill." Donna reveals.

"That can't be right." Colonel Mace disagrees.

"You've been checking out the building. Should've been checking out the workforce." Donna comments.

"I can see why he likes you." Martha says.

"Mmm hmm." Donna nods.

"You are good." Martha tells her.

"Super temp." Donna comments.

"Doctor Jones, set up a medical post. Start examining the workers. I'll get them sent through." Colonel Mace orders Martha.

"Come on, Donna. Give me a hand." Martha asks.

Sophia comes in.

"What did I miss?"

Martha smiles nicely at Sophia.

 **-!-**

"So this, this ATMOS thing. Where'd it come from?" The Doctor inquires about ATMOS.

"Luke Rattigan himself." Colonel Mace tells him.

"And himself would be?" Sophia inquires who Colonel Mace is talking about.

 **-!-**

"Child genius. Invented the Fountain Six search engine when he was twelve years old. Millionaire overnight. Now runs the Rattigan Academy. A private school, educating students handpicked from all over the world." Colonel Mace explains the sad, lonely life of Luke Rattigan.

"A hothouse for geniuses. Wouldn't mind going there. I get lonely." The Doctor comments on the Rattigan Academy.

 **-!-**

"Do you think I should warn my mum about the ATMOS in her car?" Donna asks if she should be warned with her mother's car with ATMOS.

"Better safe then sorry." Martha says.

"I'll give her a call." Donna tells Martha.

"Donna. Do they know where you are? Your family. I mean, that you're travelling with the Doctor?" Martha inquires.

"Not really. Although my granddad sort of waved us off. I didn't have time to explain." Donna expains.

"You just left him behind?" Martha asks.

"Yeah." Donna agrees.

"I didn't tell my family. I kept it all so secret, and it almost destroyed them." Martha tells her.

"In what way?" Donna asks how they were "destroyed."

"They ended up imprisoned. They were tortured. My Mum, my Dad, my sister. It wasn't the Doctor's fault, but you need to be careful. Because you know the Doctor. He's wonderful, he's brilliant, but he's like fire. Stand too close and people get burnt." Martha explains what happened for her family.

 **-!-**

"You are not coming with me. I want to talk to this Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him." The Doctor explains.

"It's ten miles outside London. How are you going to get there?" Colonel Mace asks the Doctor how he needs to get in there.

"Colonel, the Doctor advises to be given a jeep." Sophia answers for the Doctor, she disliked soldiers because they could be one more step from becoming a Dalek or a Cyberman.

"According to the records you travel by Tardis." Colonel Mace reminds him.

"Yeah, but if there is a danger of hostile aliens, I think it's best to keep a super-duper time machine away from the front lines." The Doctor tells him.

"I see. Then you do have weapons, but you choose to keep them hidden. Jenkins?" Colonel Mace says as he asks for a solider.

"Sir." Ross Jenkins answers Colonel Mace.

"You will accompany the Doctor and his associate and take orders from him." Colonel Mace explains to Jenkins.

"Yeah, I don't do orders." The Doctor dismisses orders.

"Never do I." Sophia agrees with the Doctor.

"Any sign of trouble, get Jenkins to declare a Code Red. And good luck, sir." Colonel Mace says.

"I said no salutes." The Doctor reminds him.

"Now you're giving orders." Colonel Mace says as he leaves.

"Oh, you're getting a bit cheeky, you are." The Doctor whispers.

"Surrreee..." Sophia tries to agree as Donna enters.

"Doctor." Donna asks.

"Oh, just in time. Come on, come on, we're going to the country. Fresh air and geniuses, what more could you ask?" The Doctor explains where he's going.

"I'm not coming with you. I've been thinking. I'm sorry. I'm going home." Donna reveals what she wants to do.

"Really?" The Doctor inquires.

"I've got to." Donna says.

"Oh, if that's what you want. I mean, it's a bit soon. I had so many places I had wanted to take you. The Fifteenth Broken Moon of the Medusa Cascade, the Lightning Skies of Cotter Palluni's World, Diamond Coral Reefs of Kataa Flo Ko. Thank you. Thank you, Donna Noble, it's been brilliant. You've, you've saved my life in so many ways." The Doctor explains what he could have done with her and what she can't do now she's gone.

"You're..." The Doctor begins saying as the penny drops. "You're just popping home for a visit, that's what you mean."

"You dumbo." Donna comments to him.

"And then you're coming back." Sophia says to him to let him agree.

"Know what you are? A great big outer space dunce." Donna tells him.

"Yeah." The Doctor agrees.

"Ready when you are, sir." Jenkins reminds the Doctor.

"What's more, you can give me a lift. Come on. Broken moon of what?" Donna says before asking about a broken moon.

"I know, I know." The Doctor agrees.

 **-!-**

The jeep stops in the middle of a junction.

"I'll walk the rest of the way. I'll see you back at the factory, yeah?" Donna says.

"Bye!" The Doctor tells her.

"And you be careful!" Donna wishes to him as the jeep drives off.

"Haven't seen you for days." A neighbour of Donna comments.

"Yeah. Been away." Donna says as she walks past the cars parked half on the pavement and sees a young boy playing with a football. This triggers memories of the last day of Pompeii, and the imprisoned Ood, and the happy baby Adipose. Then she sees her Grandfather putting out the rubbish. He waves, and she runs to him for a tearful reunion.

 **-!-**

The jeep drives through the Rattigan Academy grounds.

"UNIT's been watching Rattigan Academy for ages. It's all a bit Hitler Youth. Exercise at dawn and classes and special diets." Jenkins explains about the Rattigan Academy.

"I wouldn't call it Hitler Youth for that. We've been near worse." Sophia tells him about his comment for "Rattigan Academy."

"Turn left."

"Ross, one question. If UNIT think that ATMOS is dodgy..." The Doctor tries to ask about ATMOS if UNIT have it.

"Go straight on."

"How come we've got it in the jeeps? Yeah, tell me about it. They're fitted as standard on all government vehicles. We can't get rid of them till we can prove there's something wrong." Jenkins explains why they have them in the official UNIT vehicles.

"Turn right."

"Drives me around the bend." Jenkins jokes.

"Oh, nice one." Sophia comments as Jenkins turns a bend.

"Timed that perfectly." Jenkins tells him.

"Yeah. Yeah, you did." The Doctor says.

"This is you final destination."

They get out of the jeep, and walk up to Luke who is standing still whilst his students are running around the building.

"Is it PE? I wouldn't mind a kick around, I've got me daps on." The Doctor asks if Luke is hosting PE.

"I suppose you're the Doctor?" Luke says that he is the Doctor.

"Hello." The Doctor says.

"Your commanding officer phoned ahead." Luke explains.

"We don't have a commanding officer, oh and this is Ross." Sophia tells them.

"Good afternoon, sir." Jenkins welcomes himself.

"Let's have a look, then. I can smell genius! In a good way." The Doctor says as he can smell some of his genius.

 **-!-**

"Oh, now, that's clever. Look. Single molecule fabric, how thin is that?! You could pack a tent in a thimble. Ooo! Gravity simulators. Terraforming, biospheres, nano-tech steel construction. This is brilliant. Do you know, with equipment like this you could, ooo, I don't know, move to another planet or something?" The Doctor explains as he prances around Rattigan's Academy and wonders if they could make resources for use on another planet somewhere in the constellations.

"If only that was possible." Luke wonders.

"If only that were possible. Conditional clause." The Doctor corrects him on a clause.

"I think you'd better come with me." Luke tells them.

 **-!-**

They end up in Luke's recreation centre as there is a swimming pool in the foreground, and a transmat in a corner.

"You're smarter than the usual UNIT grunts, I'll give you that." Luke comments on the Doctor's intellegence.

"He called you a grunt. Don't call Ross a grunt. He's nice. We like Ross. Look at this place." Sophia comments about Ross not being a "grunt".

"What exactly do you want?" Luke asks the group about they want from him.

"I was just thinking. What a responsible eighteen year old. Inventing zero carbon cars? Saving the world." The Doctor asks what Luke is doing being an 18 year old.

"Takes a man with vision." Luke says.

"Mmm, blinkered vision. Because ATMOS means more people driving. More cars, more petrol. End result, the oil's going to run out faster than ever. The ATMOS system could make things worse." The Doctor explains about ATMOS for what it's use is for.

"Yeah. Well, you see, that's a tautology. You can't say ATMOS system because it stands for Atmospheric Emissions System. So you're just saying Atmospheric Emissions System system. Do you see, Mister Conditional Clause?" Luke corrects him as the Doctor accidently says ATMOS system.

"Although it has been a long time since anyone has only said no to you, isn't it?" Sophia tells him about being said no.

"I'm still right, though." Luke tries to agree with her.

"Not really." She tells him.

"Not easy, is it, being clever. You look at the world and you connect things, random things, and think, why can't anyone else see it? The rest of the world is so slow." The Doctor describes what Luke thinks of being clever.

"Yeah." Luke says as he agrees on the rest of the world being slow.

"And you're all on your own." The Doctor says. "But not with this. Because there's no way you invented this thing single handed. I mean, it might be Earth technology, but that's like finding a mobile phone in the Middle Ages. No, no, I'll tell you what it's like. It's like finding this in the middle of someone's front room. Albeit it's a very big front room."

"Why, what is it?" Ross asks what the transmit is.

"Yeah, just looks like a thing, doesn't it? People don't question things. They just say, oh, it's a thing." The Doctor explains the answer.

"Leave it alone." Luke warns him as the Doctor steps into the transmat.

"Me, I make these connections. And this, to me, looks like a teleport pod." The Doctor tries to describe the transmit as he pushes a button and vanishes.

 **-!-**

 _"Orbit now holding at five five six point three, sector two seven zero."_

"Oh." The Doctor relieases as the Sontarans all turn to look at the Doctor.

"We have an intruder." One of the Sontarans notice him.

"How did he get in, in tru da window? Bye, bye!" The Doctor jokes whilst escaping their wrath.

 **-!-**

The Doctor appears, running from the other side of the transmat.

"Ross, Sophia, get out! Luke, you've got to come with me." The Doctor explains as the Sontaron from before appears just before the Doctor can zap the teleport with his sonic screwdriver. "Sontaran! That's your name, isn't it? You're a Sontaran. How did I know that, hey? Fascinating isn't it? Isn't that worth keeping me alive?"

"I order you to surrender in the name of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce." Ross orders the Sontaran.

"Well that's not going to work. Cordolaine signal, am I right? Copper excitation stopping the bullets." The Doctor explains about the Cordolaine signal blocking the bullets.

"How do you know so much?" The Sontaran inquires. "Who is he?"

"He didn't give his name." Luke reminds the Sontaran.

"But this isn't typical Sontaran behaviour, is it? Hiding? Using teenagers, stopping bullets? A Sontaran should face bullets with dignity. Shame on you." The Doctor complains on the Sontaran's honour.

"You dishonour me, sir." The Sontaran says.

"Yeah? Then show yourself." The Doctor asks for a reveal of the Sontaran.

"I will look into my enemy's eyes!" The Sontaran explains as he removes his helmet.

"Oh no." Sophia reacts.

"Oh, my God." Ross exclaims.

"And your name?" The Doctor inquires the name of the Sontaran.

"General Staal, of the Tenth Sontaran Fleet. Staal the Undefeated." The Sontaran explains his name.

"Oh, that's not a very good nickname. What if you do get defeated? Staal the Not Quite So Undefeated Anymore But Never Mind?" The Doctor tries to joke about Stall's nickname.

"He's like a potato. A baked potato. A talking baked potato." Ross takes the mick out of Stall's appearence.

"Now, Ross, don't be rude. You look like a pink weasel to him." Sophia tries to make him apoligize as the Doctor picks up a squash racket and ball.

"The Sontarans are the finest soldiers in the galaxy, dedicated to a life of warfare. A clone race, grown in batches of millions with only one weakness." The Doctor explains the role of the Sontarans.

"Sontarans have no weakness." Stall disaproves of the weakness.

"No, it's a good weakness." The Doctor disagrees with Stall's disaprooval. "The Sontarans are fed by a probic vent in the back of their neck. That's their weak spot. Which means, they always have to face their enemies in battle. Isn't that brilliant? They can never turn their backs."

"We stare into the face of death." General Stall tells him.

"Yeah? Well, stare at this." The Doctor answers back as he smashes the ball into the back of the teleport, where it rebounds and hits Staal right on the probic vent. "Run!"

The Doctor, Sophia and Jenkins run as Staal slumps to his knees. They speed away in the jeep.

 **-!-**

"Greyhound Forty to Trap One. Repeat, can you hear me? Over." The Doctor asks on the radio for Colonel Mace's asistance.

"Why's it not working?" Jenkins inquires.

"It must be the Sontarans. If they can trace that, they can isolate the ATMOS." The Doctor explains.

"Turn left."

"Try going right." Sophia says.

"It said left."

"I know. So go right." Sophia tells him.

"I've got no control. It's driving itself. It won't stop." Jenkins tells him as the Doctor tries to sonic the ATMOS.

"The doors are locked." Jenkins says.

"Ah, it's deadlocked. I can't stop it." The Doctor complains.

"Let me."

"Turn left."

"The sat-nav's just a box, wired through the whole car." He then explains.

"We're headed for the river." Jenkins reminds the Doctor.

"ATMOS, are you programmed to contradict my orders?" The Doctor asks about the ATMOS and the orders.

"Confirmed."

"Anything I say, you'll ignore it?" The Doctor inquires.

"Confirmed."

"Then drive into the river. I order you to drive into the river. Do it. Drive into the river." The Doctor orders the ATMOS which will condrict him as the jeep stops at the edge of the river and the Doctor and Jenkins get out.

"Turn right. Left."

"Get down!" The Doctor shouts.

"Left, right, left, right, left, left, right, left, right."

The sat-nav goes bang with a few sparks and a bit of smoke.

"Oh, was that it?" Sophia inquires. "I expected more of a bang."

 **-!-**

"You would not believe the day we're having." The Doctor groans at Donna as he inspects the family car and sees the ATMOS fastened below the engine bay.

"I'll requisition us a vehicle." Jenkins tells the Doctor.

"Anything without ATMOS. And don't point your gun at people." The Doctor reminds him as Jenkins leaves. Wilf comes out of the house.

"Is it him? Is it him? Is it the Doctor? Ah, it's you!" Wilf inquires about the Doctor.

"Who? Oh, it's you." The Doctor says as he spots Wilf next to him.

"Oh yes! I remember..." Sophia says.

"What, have you met before?" Donna asks if they met before.

"Yeah, Christmas Eve. They disappeared right in front of me." Wilf reminds Donna.

"And you never said?" Donna asks him.

"Well, you never said. Wilf, sir. Wilfred Mott. You two must be one of them aliens." Wilf says about the aliens.

"Yeah, but don't shout it out. Nice to meet you properly, Wilf." Sophia greets Wilf.

"Oh, an alien hand." Wilf says.

"Donna, anything?" The Doctor asks about Donna.

"She's not answering. What is it, Sontorans?" Donna asks what it is for her to say.

"Sontarans. But there's got to be more to it. They can't be just remote controlling cars. That's not enough. Is anyone answering?" The Doctor disbelieves them for the full way of ATMOS.

"Hold on." Donna says.

"Don't tell me. Donna Noble." Martha answers.

"Martha. Hold on, he's here." Donna tells her.

"Martha, tell Colonel Mace it's the Sontarans. They're in the file. Code Red, Sontarans. But if they're inside the factory tell them not to start shooting. UNIT will get massacred. I'll get back as soon as I can." The Doctor explains to her. "You got that?"

"Code Red Sontaran. Gotcha." Martha reminds herself.

"Doctor Jones. Found anything yet?" Colonel Mace asks her.

"No, sir. Nothing to report." Martha tells him not.

The Doctor has the car bonnet up.

"But you tried sonicing it before. You didn't find anything." Donna reminds him.

"Yeah, but now I know it's Sontaran, I know what I'm looking for." The Doctor says.

"The thing is, Doctor, that Donna is my only grandchild. You got to promise me you're going to take care of her." Wilf explains about Donna.

"She takes care of us." The Doctor tells him.

"Oh yeah, that's my Donna. Yeah, she was always bossing us round when she was tiny. The Little General we used to call her." Wilf tells him.

"Yeah, don't start." Donna complains.

"And some of the boys she used to turn up with. Different one every week. Here, who was that one with the nail varnish?" Wilf continues to tells them.

"Matthew Richards. He lives in Kilburn now. With a man." Donna tells who the nail varnish was as spikes suddenly stick out of the ATMOS device.

"Whoa. It's a temporal pocket. I knew there was something else in there. It's hidden just a second out of sync with real time." The Doctor explains the ATMOS device.

"But what's it hiding?" Donna inquires.

"I don't know, men and their cars. Sometimes I think if I was a car. Oh, it's you. Doctor what was it?" Sylvia rambles before looking at the Doctor.

"Yeah, that's me." The Doctor says.

"What, have you met him as well?" Wilf inquires on Sylvia being part of the Doctor's life.

"Dad, it's the man from the wedding. When you were laid up with Spanish flu. I'm warning you, last time that man turned up it was a disaster." Sylvia explains on who he is and how Wilf wasn't in _The Runaway Bride_ as the spikes start giving off gas.

"Get back!" The Doctor tells them. "That'll stop it."

"I told you. He's blown up the car!. Who is he, anyway? What sort of doctor blows up cars?" Sylvia complains about the blown up car.

"Oh, not now, Mum." Donna says.

"Oh, should I make an appointment?" Sylvia inquires about making appointment as she leaves.

"That wasn't just exhaust fumes, Some sort of gas. Artificial gas." The Doctor senses the gas.

"And it's aliens, is it? Aliens?" Wilf inquries about aliens.

"But if it's poisonous, then they've got poisonous gas in every car on Earth." Donna reminds him as Wilf gets into the car.

"It's not safe. I'm going to get it off the street." Wilf tells him about using the car as it locks him inside and starts the engine. Thick gas comes from the exhaust pipe.

"Hold on! Turn it off. Granddad, get out of there!" Donna shouts at her grandfather.

"I can't! It's not locked! It's them aliens again!" Wilf responds Donna's shouting.

"What's he doing? What's he done?" Sylvia inquires.

"They've activated it!" Sophia reliases as gas is pouring from the exhaust pipes of hundreds of parked cars.

"There's gas inside the car! He's going to choke! Doctor!" Donna requests his help.

"It won't open! It's the whole world." The Doctor says.

"Help me."

The Doctor pulls all the connections he can find in the engine, but the gas continues to fill the car.

"Get me out of here!" Wilf shouts as Sylvia runs inside as Wilf collapses.

"Doctor!"

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Soz about having the wait for this chapter!**

 **Come on for the second half of Series 4!**

 _ **The Doctor's Daughter, Unicorn and the Wasp. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, Midnight, Turn Left, The Stolen Earth/Journey's End.**_

 **The Imperial Phantom Menace - March 10th, 2016**


	7. The Poison Sky

**The Poison Sky**

The Doctor is under the car, struggling with the ATMOS.

"He's going to choke. Doctor!" Donna reminds the Doctor about Wilf's status.

"It won't open." The Doctor complains as Sylvia comes back out of the house with an axe, closes the bonnet and breaks the windscreen.

"Well, don't just stand there. Get him out." Sylvia asks him.

Wilf is being taken to safety.

"Thanks." Wilf thanks him.

"I can't believe you've got an axe." Donna comments.

"Burglars." Sylvia gives a reason.

"Get inside the house. Just try and close off the doors and windows." The Doctor orders them as Jenkins is driving a black cab.

"Doctor. This is all I could find that hasn't got ATMOS." Jenkins tells him.

"Donna, you coming?" Sophia inquires.

"Yeah." Donna agrees with her.

"Donna. Don't go. Look what happens every time that Doctor appears. Stay with us, please." Sylvia tries to tell Donna to stay away from the Doctor.

"You go, my darling." Wilf disaproves of Sylvia's warnings.

"Dad!" Sylvia shouts a Wilf.

"Don't listen to her. You go with the Doctor. That's my girl." Wilf praises Donna as she gets into the cab. "Bye."

 **-!-**

"Ross, look after yourself. Get inside the building." Sophia says.

"Will do. Greyhound Forty to Trap One. I have just returned the Doctor to base safe and sound. Over." Jenkins explains on the radio.

 **-!-**

"The air is disgusting." Donna complains.

"It's not so bad for me. Go on, get inside the Tardis. Oh, I've never given you a key. Keep that. Go on, that's yours. Quite a big moment really." The Doctor explains about giving Donna her key for the Tardis.

"Yeah, maybe we can get sentimental after the world's finished choking to death." Donna says to him.

"Good idea." Sophia agrees.

"Where are you going?" Donna inquires.

"To stop a war." The Doctor says as he and Sophia run to the ATMOS factory while Donna lets herself into the Tardis.

 **-!-**

"Right then, here I am. Good. Whatever you do, Colonel Mace, do not engage the Sontarans in battle. There is nothing they like better than a war. Just leave this to me." The Doctor orders Colonel Mace.

"And what are you going to do?" Colonel Mace inquires.

"I've got the Tardis. I'm going to get on board their ship." The Doctor says as Martha taps her phone, and Grey and Harris (two soldiers who the Sontarans have controlled.) snap to attention.)

"Come on." The Doctor says to Martha.

 **-!-**

Grey and Harris fix devices to the outside of the Tardis vanishes.

 **-!-**

"But where's the Tardis?" Martha inquries.

"Taste that, in the air. Yuck. That sort of metal tang. Teleport exchange. It's the Sontarans. They've taken it. I'm stuck on Earth like, like an ordinary person. Like a human. How rubbish is that? Sorry, no offence, but come on." The Doctor explains about the teleport taste.

"So what do we do?" Martha inquires.

"Well, I mean, it's shielded. They could never detect it." The Doctor reminds her as he looks closely.

"What?" Martha asks him.

"I'm just wondering, have you phoned your family and Tom?" The Doctor asks her.

"No. What for?"

"The gas. Tell them to stay inside." The Doctor says.

"Course I will, yeah but, what about Donna? I mean, where's she?" Martha asks about Donna.

"Oh, she's gone home. She's not like you. She's not a soldier. Right. So. Avanti." The Doctor lies to her about Donna.

 **-!-**

"Change of plan." The Doctor says.

"Good to have you fighting alongside us, Doctor." Colonel Mace tells him.

"I'm not fighting. I'm not-fighting, as in not hyphen fighting, got it? Now, does anyone know what this gas is yet?" The Doctor reminds them on what he's going to do.

"We're working on it." Martha tells him.

"It's harmful, but not lethal until it reaches eighty percent density. We're having the first reports of deaths from the centre of Tokyo City." Captain Price explains about the density of the gas.

"And who are you?" The Doctor inquires.

"Captain Marion Price, sir." Captain Price names herself.

"Oh, put your hand down. Don't salute." The Doctor dismisses the salute Price gives him.

"Jodrell Bank's traced a signal, Doctor, coming from five thousand miles above the Earth. We're guessing that's what triggered the cars." Colonel Mace co-ordinates the signal of the Sontarans.

"The Sontaran ship." The Doctor confirms Colonel Mace's co-ordination.

"NATO has gone to Defcon One. We're preparing a strike." Colonel Mace tells him.

"You can't do that. Nuclear missiles won't even scratch the surface. Let me talk to the Sontarans." The Doctor warns him as he devises a second command.

"You're not authorised to speak on behalf of the Earth." Colonel Mace reminds him.

"I've got that authority. I earned that a long time ago." The Doctor says as he sticks his sonic screwdriver into the communications system. "Calling the Sontaran Command Ship, under Jurisdiction Two of the Intergalactic Rules of Engagement..."

 **-!-**

The scanner briefly shows a picture of Rose Tyler, then the Doctor appears.

 _"This is the Doctor."_

"Doctor, I'm here. Can you hear me?" Donna asks.

 **-!-**

"Doctor, breathing your last?" General Staal asks him.

"My God, they're like trolls." Colonel Mace complains.

"Yeah, loving the diplomacy, thanks. So, tell me, General Staal, since when did you lot become cowards?" The Doctor asks about the cowardly acts of the Sontarans.

"How dare you!" Staal complains.

"Oh, that's diplomacy?" Colonel Mace inquires.

"Doctor, you impugn my honour." Stall says to him.

"Yeah, I'm really glad you didn't say belittle, because then I'd have a field day. But poison gas? That's the weapon of a coward and you know it. Staal, you could blast this planet out of the sky and yet you're sitting up above watching it die. Where's the fight in that? Where's the honour? Or are you lot planning something else, because this isn't normal Sontaran warfare. What are you lot up to?"

"A general would be unwise to reveal his strategy to the opposing forces." Stall disaproves of the Doctor's constant inquiring of his plan.

"Ah, the war's not going so well, then. Losing, are we?" The Doctor asks him.

"Such a suggestion is impossible."

"What war?" Colonel Mace inquires.

"The war between the Sontarans and the Rutans. It's been raging, far out in the stars, for fifty thousand years. Fifty thousand years of bloodshed, and for what?" The Doctor explains the back story on the Rutan War.

"For victory. Sontar-ha." Staal answers by barking his catchprase. "Sontar-ha. Sontar-ha. Sontar-ha. Sontar-ha. Sontar-ha."

"Give me a break." The Doctor says as he changes channels with the screwdriver.

"Doctor. I would seriously recommend that this dialogue is handled by official Earth representation." Colonel Mace reminds him as he puts it back to the Sontarans.

"Finished?" The Doctor asks them.

"You will not be so quick to ridicule when you'll see our prize. Behold. We are the first Sontarans in history to capture a Tardis." Colonel Stall explains his gratidute.

"Well, as prizes go, that's noble." The Doctor notes to himself as he then looks at the CCTV camera which Donna is looking at in the Tardis. "As they say in Latin, Donna nobis pacem. Did you never wonder about its design? It's a phone box. It contains a phone. A telephonic device for communication. Sort of symbolic. Like, if only we could communicate, you and I."

"All you have communicated is your distress, Doctor." Colonel Stall says.

"Oh, my God." Donna reliases as she picks up Martha's phone.

"Big mistake though, showing it to me." The Doctor tells them.

"But who do I phone?" Donna inquires.

"Because I've got remote control." The Doctor ponders.

"Cease transmission!" Stall orders. "Remove the box from the War Room, beyond the transmission field."

"Ah, well." The Doctor says.

"That achieved nothing." Colonel Mace tells them.

"Oh, you'd be surprised." Sophia, who bursts in as she tells them.

 **-!-**

Donna calls one number that she knows.

"Mum, you all right?" Donna inquires about her mother.

"Donna. Where are you, sweetheart?" Sylvia asks about her location.

"Is that her?"

"Oh, just finish the job. Your granddad's sealing us in. He's sealing the windows. Our own house, and we're sealed in. All those things they said about pollution and ozone and carbon, they're really happening aren't they?" Sylvia explains about what she and Wilf are doing in the house to stop the poisonous gas from spreading out of the house.

"There's people working on it, Mum. They're going to fix it, I promise." Donna says to her.

"Oh, like you'd know. You're so clever." Sylvia tells her.

"Oh, don't start. Please don't." Donna stops her.

"I'm sorry. I wish you were here." Sylvia says.

"Now, come on, Sylvia. Look, that doesn't help. Donna, where are you?" Wilf inquires where she is.

"It's sort of hard to say. You all right?" Donna agrees.

"Yeah. Fighting fit, yeah. Is he with you, the Doctor?" Wilf asks about her with the Doctor.

"Oh, the Doctor."

"No. I'm all on my own." Donna relieves about telling them.

"Look, you promised he was going to look after you." Wilf remembers.

"He will, Gramps. There's something he needs me to do. I just don't know what." Donna says to him.

"Well, I mean, the whole place is covered. The whole of London, they're saying. The whole, the whole world. It's the scale of it, Donna. I mean, how can one man stop all that?" Wilf explains to her.

"Trust me. He can do it." Donna says.

"Yeah, well, if he doesn't, you tell him he'll have to answer to me." Wilf reminds her.

"I will. Just as soon as I see him, I'll tell him." Donna agrees.

Wilf puts the phone down. Sylvia looks out at the smog-filled street.

 **-!-**

The Doctor reads Martha's clipboard.

"There's carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, but ten percent unidentified. Some sort of artificial heavy element we can't trace. You ever seen anything like it?" Martha explains the conponents of the gas.

"It must be something the Sontarans invented. This isn't just poison. They need this gas for something else. What could that be?" The Doctor asks about what they need the gas for.

"Launch grid online and active." Captain Price says.

"Positions, ladies and gentlemen, Defcon One initiatives in progress." Colonel Mace says.

"What? I told you not to launch." The Doctor reminds Colonel Mace.

"The gas is at sixty percent density. Eighty percent and people start dying, Doctor. We've got no choice." Colonel Mace explains.

"Launching in sixty, fifty nine, fifty eight, fifty seven, fifty six. Worldwide nuclear grid now coordinating. Fifty four, fifty three." Captain Price counts down the numbers until the missiles reach.

"You're making a mistake, Colonel. For once, I hope the Sontarans are ahead of you." Sophia disagrees with Colonel Mace.

"North America, online. United Kingdom, online. France, online. India, online. Pakistan, online. China, online. North Korea, online. All systems locked and coordinated. Launching in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five..."

"God save us."

"Four, three, two, one." Captain Price counts down the last five seconds as Martha activates her phone hack. She presses No. "Zero"

Nothing happens. The world map goes blank.

"What is it? What happened? Did we launch? Well, did we?" Colonel Mace inquires about whatever happened to the missiles.

"Negative, sir. The launch codes have been wiped, sir. It must be the Sontarans." Captain Price says.

"Can we override it?"

"Trying it now, sir."

"Missiles wouldn't even dent that ship, so why are the Sontarans so keen to stop you? Any ideas?" The Doctor inquires.

"How should I know?" Martha asks him.

 _"Enemy within. At arms. Greyhound Forty declaring Absolute emergency. Sontarans within factory grounds. East corridor, grid six."_

"Absolute emergency. Declaring Code Red. All troops, Code Red." Colonel Mace commands.

"Get them out of there." The Doctor says.

"All troops, open fire." Colonel Mace tells them.

 _"Guns aren't working. Inform all troops, standard weapons do not work."_

The troops die quickly.

 _"Tell the Doctor it's that cordolaine signal. He's the only one who can stop them."_

"Greyhound Forty, report. Over. Greyhound Forty, report. Greyhound Forty, report." Colonel Mace asks.

"He wasn't Greyhound Forty. His name was Ross. Now listen to me, and get them out of there!" The Doctor explains to all of the troops.

"Trap One to all stations. Retreat. Order imperative. Immediate retreat." Colonel Mace says.

"They've taken the factory." Colonel Mace says.

"Why? They don't need it. Why attack now? What are they up to? Times like this, I could do with the Brigadier. No offence." The Doctor asks for what is happening.

"None taken. Sir Alistair's a fine man, if not the best. Unfortunately, he's stranded in Peru." Colonel Mace tells him.

"Launch grid back online." Captain Price says as Martha taps No again and the grid goes blank. "They're inside the system, sir. It's coming from within UNIT itself."

"Trace it. Find out where it's coming from, and quickly. Gas levels?" Colonel Mace inquires of what is happening.

"Sixty six percent in major population areas, and rising." Captain Price explains.

The Doctor and Mace are now in his tiny office.

"Why are they defending the factory only after we were inside?" Colonel Mace asks about the factory.

"Because they wanted UNIT here. You gave them something they needed. Something now hidden inside the factory. Something precious." The Doctor describes.

"We've got to recover it. This cordolaine signal thing, how does it work?" Colonel Mace asks about the cordolaine signal.

"It's the bullets. It causes expansion of the copper shell." The Doctor explains to Colonel Mace.

"Excellent. I'm on it." Colonel Mace agrees.

"For the billionth time, you can't fight Sontarans." The Doctor shouts at him, to remind him as he goes to the nearest UNIT officer. _"Phone. Have you got a phone? I need your mobile. Quickly, hurry up."_

The Doctor returns with Sophia to the tiny office and watches Martha 2.

"What's happened? Where are you?" Donna asks him.

"Still on Earth. But don't worry, I've got my secret weapon." The Doctor tells her.

"What's that?" Donna inquires.

"You." Sophia answers.

"Oh. Somehow that's not making me happy. Can't you just zap us down to Earth with that remote thing?" Donna asks about the remote he mentioned.

"Yeah, I haven't got a remote, though I really should. I need you on that ship. That's why I made them move the Tardis. I'm sorry but you've got to go outside." The Doctor apoligizes to Donna about what she has to do.

"But there's Sonteruns out there." Donna complains.

"Sontarans. But they'll all be on battle stations right now. They don't exactly walk about having coffee. I can talk you through it." The Doctor continues.

"But what if they find me?" Donna asks.

"I know, and I wouldn't ask, but there's nothing else I can do. The whole planet is choking, Donna." The Doctor reminds Donna.

"What do you need me to do?" Donna inquires.

"The Sontarans are inside the factory which means they've got a teleport link with the ship, but they'll have deadlocked it. I need you to reopen the link." The Doctor explains more.

"But I can't even mend a fuse." Donna reminds him.

"Donna, stop talking about yourself like that. You can do this. I promise." Sophia tries to get her to go outside as Donna peeks outside the Tardis. It is being guarded.

"There's a Sonterun. Sontaran." Donna tells him.

"Did he see you?"

"No, he's got his back to me."

"Right, Donna, listen. On the back of his neck on his collar there's a sort of plug, like a hole. The Probic vent. One blow to the Probic vent knocks 'them out." The Doctor explains.

"But he's going to kill me." Donna says.

"I'm sorry. I swear I'm so sorry, but you've got to try." The Doctor asks her.

Donna gets the mallet that the Doctor uses on the Tardis console, sneaks outside and gives the Sontaran a hefty whack on the vent.

"Back of the neck." Donna comments.

"Now then, you got to find the external junction feed to the teleport." The Doctor says.

"What, what's it look like?" Donna asks him.

"A circular panel on the wall. Big symbol on the front, like a, like a letter T with a horizontal line through it. Or, or, two Fs back to back." The Doctor describes it.

"Oh. Well, there's a door." Donna says.

"Should be a switch by the side." The Doctor tells her.

"Yeah there is. But it's Sontaran shaped, you need three fingers." Donna complains.

"You've got three fingers."

 **"** Oh, yeah. I'm through."

"Oh, you are brilliant, you are." The Doctor comments.

"Shut up. Right." Donna says. "T with a line through it."

"Got to go. Keep the line open." The Doctor says.

"Counter attack." Colonel Mace mentions.

"I said, you don't stand a chance." The Doctor says.

"Positions. That means everyone." Colonel Mace commands everyone as he tosses a gas mask to the Doctor and Sophia.

"You're not going without me." Martha says.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Sophia comments as up on the spaceship, Donna hides as more Sontaran troops march past.

 **-!-**

"Latest firing stock. What do you think, Doctor?" Colonel Mace inquires.

"Are you my mummy?" The Doctor jokes with his gas mask.

"No, he's not." Sophia says.

"If you could concentrate. Bullets with a rad-steel coating. No copper surface. Should overcome the cordolaine signal" Colonel Mace explains the bullets.

"But the Sontarans have got lasers. You can't even see in this fog. The night vision doesn't work." The Doctor says.

"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you for your lack of faith. But this time, I'm not listening." Colonel Mace tells him as Mace removes his gas mask. "Attention, all troops. The Sontarans might think of us as primitive, as does every passing species with an axe to grind. They make a mockery of our weapons, our soldiers, our ideals. But no more. From this point on, it stops. From this point on, the people of Earth fight back, and we show them. We show the warriors of Sontar what the human race can do. Trap One to Hawk Major. Go, go, go."

There is a sudden massive downdraft, blowing the gas away.

"It's working. The area's clearing. Engines to maximum." Colonel Mace ramps up the order.

"It's the Valiant." The Doctor relieaves, even though Sophia died there and Martha's family were tortured.

"UNIT Carrier Ship Valiant reporting for duty, Doctor. With engines strong enough to clear away the fog." Colonel Mace says as the gas masks are now removed.

"Whoa, that's brilliant." The Doctor says.

"Getting a taste for it, Doctor?" Colonel Mace asks.

"No, not at all. Not me." The Doctor disagrees with Colonel Mace.

"Valiant, fire at will." Colonel Mace says as six green beams from the Valiant converge to form one that hits the ATMOS factory. Meanwhile, UNIT soldiers use rocket launchers to blast away the loading bay doors.

 **-!-**

"East and north secure. Doctor?" Colonel Mace reminds him.

"Donna, hold on. I'm coming." The Doctor tells Donna.

"Shouldn't we follow the Colonel?" Martha inquires as the Doctor scans the area with his sonic screwdriver.

"Nah, you and us, Martha Jones. Just like old times." Sophia says as Martha stops the nuclear strike again.

"Alien technology, this-a way." The Doctor comments as they reach a basement, "No Sontarans down here. They can't resist a battle. Here we go."

 **-!-**

"Oh, Martha, I'm so sorry. Still alive." The Doctor apoligizes as Martha 2 points a gun at the Doctor's head.

"Am we supposed to be impressed?" Sophia says for the Doctor. "Guns ain't all show business you know."

"Wish you carried a gun now?" Martha 2 asks.

"Not at all." Sophia disagrees.

"I've been stopping the nuclear launch all this time." Martha 2 tells her.

"Doing exactly what I wanted. I needed to stop the missiles, just as much as the Sontarans. I'm not having Earth start an interstellar war. You're a triple agent." The Doctor says.

"When did you know?" Martha 2 inquires.

"About you? Oh, right from the start. Reduced iris contraction, slight thinning of the hair follicles on the left temple. And, frankly, you smell. You might as well have worn a T shirt saying clone. Although, maybe not in front of Captain Jack. You remember him, don't you? Because you've got all her memories. That's why the Sontarans had to protect her, to keep you inside UNIT. Martha Jones is keeping you alive."

The Doctor takes the device off Martha's head, and the clone collapses. He kicks the gun away.

"It's all right, it's all right, I'm here, I'm here. I've got you, I've got you." The Doctor says.

"There was this thing, Doctor, this alien, with this head." Martha tells him as the Doctor's mobile phone rings.

"Oh! Blimey, I'm busy. Got it?" The Doctor asks Donna.

"Yes. Now hurry up." She complains.

"Take off the covering. All the blue switches inside, Flick them up like a fuse box, and that should get the teleport working." The Doctor explains.

"Oh, my God. That's me." Martha says.

The Doctor has put his coat around Martha and is working on the teleport.

"Don't touch me." Martha 2 says.

"It's not my fault. The Sontarans created you, but you had all my memories." Martha tells her.

"You've got a brother, sister, mother and father." Martha 2 reminds her original.

"If you don't help me, they're going to die." Martha warns her clone.

"You love them." Martha 2 says.

"Yes. Remember that?" Martha asks her clone.

"The gas. Tell us about the gas." The Doctor tells the original to ask her clone.

"He's the enemy." Martha 2 says.

"Then tell me. It's not just poison, what's it for? Martha, please." Martha asks her clone nicely.

"Caesofine concentrate. It's one part of Bosteen, two parts Probic five." Martha 2 explains the ingredients.

"Clonefeed. It's clonefeed!" The Doctor reliases.

"What's clonefeed?" Martha asks him.

"Like amniotic fluid for Sontarans. That's why they're not invading. They're converting the atmosphere, changing the planet into a clone world. Earth becomes a great big hatchery. Because the Sontarans are clones, that's how they reproduce. Give them a planet this big, they'll create billions of new soldiers. The gas isn't poison, it's food."

"My heart. It's getting slower." Martha 2 says.

"There's nothing I can do." Martha tells her clone.

"In your mind, you've got so many plans. There's so much that you want to do." Martha 2 says.

"And I will. Never do tomorrow what you can do today, my mum says, because..." The original starts to say.

"Because you never know how long you've got. Martha Jones. All that life." Martha 2 agrees as she dies. Martha takes back her engagement ring.

"Doctor. Blue switches done, but they've found me." Donna says.

"Now!" The Doctor shouts as he zaps the teleport with his sonic screwdriver, and Donna disappears from the spaceship just in time.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" Donna inquires.

"Not yet, Donna." Sophia says.

"Hold on, hold on. Get off me, get off me. Got to bring the Tardis down." The Doctor tells her as the Tardis returns to the alleyway. "Right, now. Martha, you coming?"

"What about this nuclear launch thing?" Martha asks her.

"Just keep pressing N. We want to keep those missiles on the ground." The Doctor reminds her.

"There's two of them." Donna says.

"Yeah, long story. Here we go. The old team, back together. Well, the new team." The Doctor comments as Donna and Martha join the Doctor and Sophia in the teleport.

"We're not going back on that ship!" Donna complains.

"No, no, no. No. I needed to get the teleport working so that we could get to..." The Doctor explains.

 **-!-**

"Here. The Rattigan Academy, owned by..." The Doctor continues as Luke points his gun at them.

"Don't tell anyone what I did. It wasn't my fault, the Sontarans lied to me, they..." Luke tries to ask before the Doctor takes the gun and throws it away.

"If I see one more gun..." The Doctor complains.

"You know, that coat sort of works." Donna comments.

"I feel like a kid in my dad's clothes." Martha complains.

"Oh well, if you're calling him dad, you're definitely getting over him." Sophia agrees.

The Earth's atmosphere turns orange-brown. The gas is getting into the houses.

 **-!-**

The Doctor is building a gizmo.

"That's why the Sontarans had to stop the missiles. They were holding back. Because caesofine gas is volatile, that's why they had to use you to stop the nuclear attack. Ground to air engagement could spark off the whole thing." The Doctor explains about weapons to the Sontarans.

"What, like set fire to the atmosphere?" Martha asks.

"Yeah. They need all the gas intact to breed their clone army. And all the time we had Luke here in his dream factory. Planning a little trip, were we?" The Doctor asks about what Luke was for.

"They promised me a new world." Luke reminds them.

"You were building equipment, ready to terraform El Mondo Luko so that humans could live there and breathe the air with this. An atmospheric converter." The Doctor says.

 **-!-**

"That's London. You can't even see it. My family's in there." Donna says.

"If I can get this on the right setting."

"Doctor, hold on. You said the atmosphere would ignite." Martha says.

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" The Doctor reminds her as he activates the atmospheric converter, and an energy pulse zooms up into the grungy clouds. He crosses his fingers as the fireball spreads in the upper atmosphere. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please."

The flames race around the world, consuming the gas without damaging any buildings, and leaving a clear blue sky behind. The people come out of their houses to celebrate.

"He's a genius." Luke says.

"Just brilliant." Martha comments.

"Now we're in trouble." The Doctor says.

 **-!-**

The Doctor carries the atmospheric converter into the teleport.

"Right. So, Donna, thank you for everything. Martha, you too. Oh, so many times. Luke, do something clever with your life." The Doctor explains.

"You're saying goodbye." Donna reliases.

"Sontarans are never defeated. They'll be getting ready for war. And, well, you know, I've recalibrated this for Sontaran air, so..." The Doctor tells them.

"You're going to ignite them." Martha says.

"You'll kill yourself." Donna tells him.

"Just send that thing up on it's own. I don't know. Put it on a delay." Martha tries to convince him.

"I can't." The Doctor says.

"Why not?" Donna asks him.

"I've got to give them a choice." The Doctor tells them as he teleports.

 **-!-**

"Oh, excellent." General Stall says.

"General Staal, you know what this is. But there's one more option. You can go. Just leave. Sontaran High Command need never know what happened here." The Doctor warns them.

"Your stratagem would be wise if Sontarans feared death, but we do not. At arms." Stall commands his soldiers.

"I'll do it, Staal. If it saves the Earth, I'll do it." The Doctor keeps saying.

"A warrior doesn't talk, he acts." Stall tells him.

"I am giving you the chance to leave." The Doctor says.

"And miss the glory of this moment?" Stall inquires.

"I'm warning you." The Doctor continues to warn them.

"And I salute you. Take aim." Stall continues to say.

"Shoot me, I'm still going to press this. You'll die, Staal."

"Knowing that you die too."

"For the glory of Sontar. Sontar-ha. Sontar-ha. Sontar-ha."

Luke is working on the teleport.

"I'll do it." The Doctor says.

 **-!-**

"What are you doing?" Martha inquires.

"Something clever." Luke says as he teleports away.

 **-!-**

The Sontarans are still chanting. The Doctor vanishes and Rattigan appears, catching the converter control.

"Sontar-ha!" Luke shouts as the Sontaran spaceship goes KaBOOM! taking out the just launched clone pods.

The Doctor drops into the Academy teleport, breathless.

 **-!-**

"How were they?" Martha asks.

"Oh, same old stuff. They're fine. So, you going to come with us? We're not exactly short of space." Donna says.

"Oh, I have missed all this, but, you know. I'm good here, back at home. And I'm better for having been away. Besides, someone needs me. Never mind the universe, I've got a great big world of my own now." Martha explains about her promise to herself as the door slams shut on its own and the time rotor activates, throwing everyone around.

"What? What?" The Doctor asks himself.

"Doctor, don't you dare!" Martha shouts at him.

"What the hell?" Sophia inquires.

"No, no, no. I didn't touch anything. We're in flight. It's not me." The Doctor says.

"Where are we going?" Donna asks.

"I don't know. It's out of control!" The Doctor shouts.

"Doctor, just listen to me. You take me home. Take me home right now!" Martha commands him.

 **Author's Note:**  
 **Bloody hell do I hate the early two parters of the season.**

 **Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel are okay, but this and the Dalek two parter are just *shrugs*...**

 **This is going to be the last chapter before I go on a Easter break for New York City.**

 **God sakes.**

 **The Imperial Phantom Menace - March 26th, 2016.**


End file.
